Remembering Actor Toshiyuki Nishida and His Warmth at Gatherings
In just three years, he became a nationally beloved actor.
It was reported on October 17 that actor Toshiyuki Nishida has passed away. The cause of death is believed to be illness. He was 76 years old.
On October 8, he had just attended a completion press conference for the movie “Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon” (scheduled for release on December 6), where he appeared in good spirits. During the press conference, Nishida.
“Michiko Daimon (Ryoko Yonekura, 49) has such incredible surgical skills that I have acted out of jealousy. I hope to continue working together… or rather, there won’t be any more.”
He playfully revealed that this installment would conclude the series, making the audience laugh, but this turned out to be his final appearance in public. Both entertainment industry insiders and drama fans naturally expected to continue seeing his performances, leading to an outpouring of surprise and sadness.
“Nishida made his debut in 1970 with the ‘Seinenza Theater Company,’ but he experienced a long period of hardship. However, his acting career took a significant turn in 1978 when he was cast as Zhu Bajie in ‘Journey to the West’ (Nippon Television). Zhu Bajie, a pig demon, became a beloved character with his comedic performances, often incorporating ad-libs. In 1980, he starred in ‘Ikenaka Genta 80 Kilo’ (Nippon Television), which became a massive hit and was turned into a series. In 1981, he played Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the NHK Taiga drama ‘Onna TaikoKi,’ rising to the status of a national actor in just three years.”
“He actively pursued a singing career as well, and the theme song ‘Moshimo Piano ga Hiketa nara’ from the second series of ‘Ikenaka Genta’ reached a peak of fourth place on the ‘Oricon Weekly Singles Ranking.’ It won the Gold Prize at the 23rd Japan Record Awards and marked his first appearance at the 32nd NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen” (TV magazine writer).
Without resting on his laurels as an established actor, he also ventured into variety shows. Starting in 2001, he became the second director of ‘Detective! Night Scoop’ (Asahi Broadcasting Television), appearing regularly for nearly 19 years until 2019.
