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I was sad to hear about Takakura Ken’s death. He was one of the great actors of the Japanese screen. Actually, he didn’t plan to be a movie actor. Someone from the Toei movie studio found him and put him in a movie. He started out in “yakuza” movies, and he became known as the Clint Eastwood of Japan. In his later movies he played many parts. I remember seeing him as a policeman in “Black Rain” and as the manager of the Chunichi Dragons in the comedy, “Mr. Baseball.” He made more than 200 movies in his lifetime. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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