He was born Okumura Toshio on November 29 1931. Shintaro Katsu began his career in entertainment as a shamisen player. He switched to acting because he noticed it was better paid. He played the role of blind masseur Zatoichi in a series of films in 25 movies between 1962 and 1973, starred and directed a 26th in 1989 and played the role in four seasons of a spin-off television series. After the closing of Daiei Studios, Katsu formed the company Katsu Productions. He was also an accomplished shamisen player, as well as a vocalist, recording several albums in both pop and Enka. He died of pharyngeal cancer on June 21, 1997. (Source : Wikipedia)

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