Veteran action star and singer Tetsuya Watari, known for his role in the hit police drama "Seibu Keisatsu" ("Western Police"), died of pneumonia earlier this week, his office said Friday. He was 78.
Watari, whose real name was Michihiko Watase, died Monday at a hospital in Tokyo at 6:30 p.m. He remained active in show business even after undergoing surgery for rectal cancer in 1991, and heart surgery in June 2015.
Watari shot to fame in TV police dramas in the 1970s, including "Dai Tokai" ("The Big City") and "Seibu Keisatsu." He also was praised for his roles in movies about yakuza, such as "Tokyo Drifter" and "Graveyard of Honor," and appeared in NHK period dramas.