Tamba Tetsuro, a veteran actor known for promoting belief in the existence of a spiritual world after death, died Monday of lung cancer at a Tokyo hospital, his office said. He was 84.

The Tokyo native played roles in movies and television dramas, earning a reputation as a character actor, particularly as a detective or a gang boss. His work included roles in the movies "Suna no Utsuwa" ("The Castle of Sand"), "Ansatsu" ("The Assassin") and "Tasogare Seibei" ("The Twilight Samurai").