was a Japanese

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...

and actor. Nicknamed "The Japanese Chaplin", he is best known outside Japan for his appearance as Tako, the promoter of King Kong in ''

King Kong vs. Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the ''Godzilla'' and ''King Kong'' franchises, as well as the first T ...

'' (1962). Arishima's real name was Tadao Oshima. He was born in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most p ...

and both of his parents died when he was a teenager. His love of the theater began in childhood, and he moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

in 1936 to pursue that interest. He spent the next decade working with various theatrical troupes until he made his film debut in 1947, with Shochiku Studios. He became a household name in Japan after his move to

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produc ...

in 1955. At Toho he was featured in two very popular series, the "

Wakadaishō series The Wakadaishō series is a series of films starring Yūzō Kayama and Kunie Tanaka. The first film in the series was '' Daigaku no Wakadaishō'' from 1961. Masao Kusakari portrayed the role of Wakadaishō in two other films. All of the films st ...

" ("Young Guy") movies starring

Yūzō Kayama is a Japanese popular musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Life and career Son of mid-twentieth century film star Ken Uehara,and actress Yoko Kozakura, ( ja) Kayama graduated from Keio University. Yuzo Kayama signed with Toho and made his ...

, and the "Shacho" ("Company President") movies featuring the

Crazy Cats The were a Japanese jazz band and comedy group popular in film and television, particularly between the 1950s and 1970s. Led by Hajime Hana, the band's other main members were Kei Tani, Hitoshi Ueki, Hiroshi Inuzuka, Senri Sakurai, Shin Yasuda, an ...

(クレージーキャッツ) comedy team. In addition to

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 44 feature films in a career spanning 59 years. The most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki, his films have had a significant influence on the film industry. Honda enter ...

's ''King Kong vs. Godzilla,'' Arishima appeared in two Toho fantasy films directed by

Senkichi Taniguchi (February 19, 1912 – October 29, 2007) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Born in Tokyo, Japan, he attended Waseda University but left before graduating due to his involvement in a left-wing theater troupe. He joined P.C.L. ...

: ''

The Lost World of Sinbad is a 1963 Japanese drama action film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Mie Hama.

'' (Daitozoku) (1963) and ''The Adventure of Taklamakan'' (Kiganjō no bōken) (1966). In 1972, he left Toho and a freelance actor. Arishima's slight physical build contrasted well with the portly comedian

Frankie Sakai (13 February 1929 – 10 June 1996) was a Japanese comedian, actor, and musician. Career From his days at Keio University, Sakai worked as a jazz drummer at American Army camps during the Occupation of Japan, often doing comic routines with his ...

, leading to their teaming in several comedies. He was also popular on several television shows, one of his last roles being "Kanō Gorōzaemon," the elderly advisor to the shogun in ''

Abarenbō Shōgun (Abarenbō Shōgun) was a Japanese television program on the TV Asahi network. Set in the eighteenth century, it showed fictitious events in the life of Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa ''shōgun''. The program started in 1978 under the title '' ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

*'' Taikoki'' (1965) as Sorori Shinzaemon *''

Daichūshingura (Dai Chushingura) is a Japanese television dramatization of the events of the Forty-seven Ronin. The first episode aired on January 5, 1971, and the 52nd and final episode appeared on December 28 of the same year. The NET network broadcast it in th ...

'' (1971) as Yahei Horibe *'' Naruto Hichō'' (1977–78)

References

External links

*
Arishima Ichiro NHK Jimbutsuroku
1916 births 1987 deaths Japanese comedians People from Nagoya 20th-century Japanese male actors Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon 20th-century comedians {{Japan-actor-stub