, born Makoto Harada (April 13, 1933 – February 17, 2010), was a Japanese actor. He was born in

Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro Station, and several shops, restaurants, and department stores are located within city limits. Transportation At the center of Ikebukuro is ...

, Tokyo, the son of

silent-film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

actor Rintarō Fujima, and started his career as a comedian in 1952.

Acting Roles

Fujita appeared in both ''

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...

'' and contemporary roles. He starred as Nakamura Mondo, a samurai, in sixteen

Hissatsu series The is a long-running prime-time popular television Jidaigeki series about assassins in Japan, produced by ABC Television and Shochiku. '' Hissatsu Shikakenin'' is based on Shōtarō Ikenami's novel ''Shikakenin Fujieda Baian'', but its sequels ...

Asahi Broadcasting Corporation is a certified broadcasting holding company headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Until March 31, 2018, it was a unified radio and television broadcaster serving in the Kansai region. On April 1, 2018, its radio and television broadcasting divisions ...

from 1973. He also portrayed Nakamura on stage and in film; for example, the 1984 film ''Hissatsu: Sure Death'', the 1987 film ''Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder!'', the (also released in 1987) film '' Sure Death 4: Revenge'', the 1991 film ''Sure Death 5'', and the 1996 film ''

Hissatsu! Mondo Shisu is a 1996 film based on the television Hissatsu series. The film depicts popular character Nakamura Mondo's death. Mondo is involved in Tokugawa shogunate's conflict. Cast * Makoto Fujita as Mondo Nakamura * Kunihiko Mitamura as Hide * Kiyos ...

''. Fujita's last appearance was in 2009 Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009, although in January 2010 he had returned to the ''Hissatsu'' series as a narrator. He also starred in the contemporary

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

drama series '' Hagure Keiji Junjōha'' ("Rogue but Pure-Minded Detective"), also on the Asahi network. Returning to ''jidaigeki'' he played the lead role in the remake of ''Kenkaku Shōbai'' with Megumi Ōji. He also took the role of

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the ''chanoyu'', the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspect ...

and in 2008

Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyō, daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming ...

. Makoto's film credits number at least 57 and he also starred in a number of TV commercials.

Singing and writing

Makoto's talents extended beyond acting. He also sang, and released nine recordings, including a duet with Azusa Mano, and with The Peanuts twins. He also published several essays, the last of which was ''Saigo'' (2006).

Pacifism

A committed pacifist, Fujita always carried a letter from his elder brother, who died in the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It took him over 60 years, Fujita revealed, before he could finally visit Okinawa, where he threw rice balls into the ocean as an offering to the war victims. To convey his antiwar message, Fujita devoted all his energy into the 2007 movie '' Best Wishes for Tomorrow'' (Ashita he no Yuigon), in which he portrayed a class-B war criminal sentenced to death following Japan's surrender.

Death

On February 16, 2010 at approximately 9:00 P.M. in his home in

Minoh, Osaka file:箕面市役所.jpg, 270px, Minoh City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 139,118 in 62451 households and a population density of 2900 persons per km2. The total ...

, Fujita suddenly vomited blood and was transported to the

Osaka University The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and Kaitokudō, Kaitokudo (1724), ...

Hospital in

Suita is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 381,238 in 182,636 households, and a population density of 11,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a suburban city of Osaka City and a p ...

. The following day at 7:25 am, Fujita suffered an

aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. Typically, there are no symptoms except when the aneurysm dissects or ruptures, which causes sudden, severe pain in the abdomen and lower back ...

, resulting in his death. He was 76 years old.

Honours

* Medal with Purple Ribbon (2002)

Film

* Hymn to a Tired Man (1968) * Hunter in the Dark (1979) * Yaju-deka (1982) * Hissatsu: Sure Death (1984) *'' Hissatsu! III Ura ka Omote ka'' (1986) * Sure Death 4: Revenge (1987) *

(1996) * Hissatsu! Shamisenya no Yuji (1999) * Oh! Oku(2006) * Best Wishes for Tomorrow(2008)

Television

* Ten to Chito (1969) as Naya *'' Shin Heike Monogatari'' (1972), Akehana no Banboku *''

Kenkaku Shōbai is a series of popular historical novels written by Shōtarō Ikenami and one of the representative novels of Ikenami along with ''Onihei Hankachō'' and ''Shikakenin Fujieda Baian''. The stories were originally serialized in the monthly magazi ...

'' (1998-2010) *''

Ōoku The was historically the harem, women's quarters of Edo Castle, the section where the women connected to the reigning resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful , such as the Satsuma Domain, were also referred to by this term. During ...

'' (2004),

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

*'' Tokugawa Fūunroku Hachidai Shōgun Yoshimune'' (2008),

Hissatsu series

* Hissatsu Shiokinin (1973) as Mondo Nakamura * Kurayami Shitomenin (1974) * Hissatsu Shiokiya Kagyō (1975) * Hissatsu Shiwazanin (1976) * Shin Hissatsu Shiokinin (1977) * Edo Professional Hissatsu Shōbainin (1978) * Hissatsu Shigotonin (1979–81) *

Shin Hissatsu Shigotonin is a Japanese television ''jidaigeki'' or period drama that was broadcast in 1981 to 1982. It is the 17th in the ''Hissatsu'' series. The drama is a sequel to '' Hissatsu Shigotonin''. Cast * Makoto Fujita as Mondo Nakamura * Kunihiko Mitamura ...

(1981–82) * Hissatsu Shigotonin III (1982–83) * Hissatsu Shigotonin IV (1984) * Hissatsu Shigotonin V (1985) * Hissatsu Shigotonin V Gekitouhen (1985–86) * Hissatsu Shigotonin V Senpuhen (1986–87) * Hissatsu Shigotonin V Fuunryūkohen (1987) * Hissatsu Shigotonin Gekitotsu (1991–92) *Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009 (2009)