was a Japanese

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and actor. Nicknamed "The Japanese

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * ''Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * Chaplin (film), ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * Chaplin (2011 fi ...

", 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).

Biography

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

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

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, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

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 entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

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 star ...

" ("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 ...

, and the "Shacho" ("Company President") movies featuring the Crazy Cats (クレージーキャッツ) comedy team. In addition to

Ishirō Honda was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, wit ...

'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. Life and career Born in Tokyo, Japan, he attended Waseda University but left before graduating due to his involvement in a left-wing theater troupe. He ...

: ''

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 Tokugawa Yoshimune, Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa clan, Tokugawa ''shōgun''. The program s ...

''.

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 t ...

'' (1971) as Yahei Horibe *''

Unmeitōge is a Japanese ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in prime-time in 1974. It is based on Renzaburō Shibata's novel of the same title. The lead star is Masakazu Tamura. Plot Akizuki Rokurōta was born as a child of Tokugawa Ieyasu, b ...

'' (1974) as

Takuan Sōhō was a Japanese Buddhist prelate during the Sengoku and early Edo Periods of Japanese history. He was a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Noted for his calligraphy, poetry, tea ceremony, he is also popularly credited with the in ...

*''

Taiyō ni Hoero! , literally ''Roar at the Sun!'', was a long-running prime-time television detective series in Japan, which ran from 1972 to 1986 for a total of 718 episodes. The lead star was Yujiro Ishihara. It also helped further the career of actors such a ...

'' (1974 ep.85) (1977 ep.240) *''

Naruto Hichō is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Eiji Yoshikawa. The stories were originally serialized as a serial in the Japanese newspaper ''Osaka Mainichishimbun'' , between 1926 and 1927. It has been re-released in book format in 1927 and 1933. Yo ...

'' (1977–78) *''

Hissatsu Shigotonin V is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1985 to 1986. It is the 23rd in the ''Hissatsu'' series. Isuzu Yamada made her final appearance in the ''Hissatsu'' series. Plot Kumihimoya no Ryu is a maker of cords ...

'' (1985 ep.11)

References

External links

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