The Japanese actor and martial artist Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba, best known to Western audiences for his roles in the Kill Bill films, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and The Street Fighter franchise, has died from Covid-19-related complications at the age of 82.
Japanese media reported that Chiba had contracted Covid-19 in late July. His condition deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital in the greater Tokyo area on 8 August. His death was announced on Thursday.
Chiba was born Sadaho Maeda in Fukuoka, Japan in 1939. He changed his name to Shinichi Chiba as he embarked on his lengthy screen career.
With over 125 credits to his name and over 60 years on screen, Chiba was a favourite in his homeland and a cult movie legend in the West.
His talents were showcased to a wider audience of cinema-goers around the world in his role as sushi chef and retired samurai Hattori Hanzo in longtime fan Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2, and as Uncle Kamata in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
Here are some of the tributes:
RIP to a Japanese martial arts legend, #SonnyChiba. Sending our thoughts to his family and friends during this hard time.💔https://t.co/n6EphFFkTs
— CAPE—Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (@CAPEUSA) August 19, 2021
The great Sonny Chiba passed away today at age 82, another victim of Covid-19. A martial arts legend with six black belts who started out in tokusatsu TV, Chiba made over 120 movies for Toei and was Japan's most popular action star for decades. Watch one of his films today. 🤜🏻💔 pic.twitter.com/sIIqS1Gf5A
— Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) August 19, 2021
A true Martial arts cinema veteran with unmatched style. RIP, Sonny Chiba ♥️ pic.twitter.com/D7qVcSU3s5
— ArrowFilmsVideo (@ArrowFilmsVideo) August 19, 2021
A heartwarming meeting between Keanu Reeves and his action star idol, Sonny Chiba. #RIPhttps://t.co/wzJefggOxp pic.twitter.com/acFZv8srTV
— Japan Society Film (@js_film_nyc) August 19, 2021
