Tamio Kawachi | |
|---|---|
川地民夫 | |
 | |
| Born | 21 July 1938 Zushi, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Died | 10 February 2018 (aged 79) Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Other names | Tamio Kawaji |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–2017 |
Tamio Kawachi (Japanese: 川地 民夫, Hepburn: Kawachi Tamio, 21 July 1938 – 10 February 2018; sometimes transliterated as Tamio Kawaji) was a Japanese actor.
Kawachi was a student at Kanto Gakuin University when Yujiro Ishihara, one of his neighbors in Zushi, Kanagawa, invited him to join the Nikkatsu studio.[1] He made his debut in A Slope in the Sun (1958) playing Ishihara's younger brother.[2] The studio initially sold him as one of the "Bad Trio" along with Akira Kobayashi and Tadao Sawamoto.[2] He appeared in films by Koreyoshi Kurahara and Seijun Suzuki and is probably most known abroad for his starring roles in Kurahara's The Warped Ones (1960) and Black Sun (1964). Kawachi eventually left Nikkatsu for the Toei Company, and co-starred in the 9-film Mamushi kyōdai series with Bunta Sugawara in the 1970s.[2][1] He also acted on television, with his last acting appearance being a TV mystery in 2017.[2] He was also known for his recurring role as Inspector General Sawaii in Ultraman Tiga.
