“His Incredible Physique Steals the Show!” Takao Osawa Blends Into the Crowd to Watch the Street Fighter Event in Shinjuku

Carrying a large plastic bottle filled with a yellow drink

A man with incredibly thick arms—almost as big as his face—crossed in front of his broad chest as he gazed up at the “Street Fighters” standing on the stage. It was actor Takao Osawa, 58.

On the evening of September 1, a special homecoming event for the Japanese premiere of the movie “Street Fighter: The Movie,” which will be released simultaneously worldwide on October 16, was held at Shinjuku PePe Square in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

“This is a live-action Hollywood adaptation of the fighting game ‘Street Fighter,’ which was first created in 1987. The promotional tour for the movie, the ‘Street Fighter World Warrior Tour,’ kicked off with Japan, the birthplace of the original game, chosen as its first stop.

A lineup of giants appeared on stage, including Hollywood actor Jason Momoa, 47, known for playing Dante Reyes in the 2023 film Fast X; British actor Andrew Koji, 38, who is also a martial artist; and Hirooki Goto, 47, of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Comedian Eikō Kano, 44, who provides the Japanese dubbed voice for Joe, also appeared and helped liven up the event.” (Film magazine writer)

Four hundred people were invited by lottery to the event area, which was surrounded by barricades, while many spectators holding up their smartphones gathered on the sidewalk outside. Among them was one particularly large man. It was Osawa, wearing a black cap, a white shirt exposing his upper arms, and sweatpants.

“Mr. Osawa positioned himself at the very front of the spectators and stood there quietly watching the stage with his arms crossed. He was holding a large plastic bottle filled with a yellow drink and kept gulping it down while standing there the entire time. Everyone around him was looking up at the stage, so not many people seemed to notice him. There was also someone who looked like a person involved with the event standing next to Mr. Osawa in a suit, so I got excited thinking he might make a surprise appearance. But he stayed there watching until the very end, so perhaps he had simply happened to be passing by.” (A passerby watching the event)

Osawa is known for playing General Wang Qi in all four “Kingdom” films, from the 2019 movie “Kingdom” through the 2024 release “Kingdom: Return of the Great General.” Over the course of eight years, he bulked up by 20 kilograms through weight training and dietary restrictions. Although his appearances in the series have come to an end, in his private life he is still known to lead a wild lifestyle worthy of being called the “real-life Wang Qi.”

In the movie “Smashing Machine,” released this May, he played businessman Nobuyuki Sakakibara, 62, the head of the mixed martial arts organization RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION. Dwayne Johnson, 54, the professional wrestler and actor who starred in the film, had high praise for Osawa, saying, “Mr. Osawa has an overwhelming presence and dignity. He is elegant and has an aura about him.”

Osawa’s wild physique was still going strong that day. He gave off an aura that rivaled, if not surpassed, those of the big-name actors lined up on the stage. Perhaps he was secretly eyeing a role in the next installment?

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