Toshiyuki Nishida

Nishida was born Toshiyuki Imai (今井 敏行)^[1] on November 4, 1947, in Kōriyama, Fukushima, to Izumi and Kie Imai. His biological father Izumi worked at the Kōriyama Postal Savings Bureau, and was born to the family of a karō, a top-ranking samurai official. Izumi died when Nishida was young, and Kie raised him while working as a beautician. After Kie remarried, Nishida, five years old at the time,^[1] was adopted by Kie's younger sister and her husband,^[1][2] Miyo and Tatsuji Nishida, respectively.^[1] His adoptive father's ancestors served Shimazu Nariakira, the daimyo of Satsuma Domain, and defended Satsuma during the Anglo-Satsuma War.^[2]

Nishida and his adoptive parents lived at a Shinto shrine's office, and although Tatsuji worked at the Kōriyama City Hall, the family was barely making a living. Tatsuji took him to the movies on the weekends, which inspired Nishida to join the drama club at his elementary school. During middle school, he told his parents that he wanted to become an actor and received strong support from his parents. During high school, he moved to Tokyo to "learn standard Japanese". In 1968, he entered an acting school, and his parents moved to Tokyo to support him.^[1]

Nishida was found dead in his home in Setagaya, Tokyo, on October 17, 2024, at the age of 76.^[3] He had previously been suffering from a chronic heart condition.^[4]

In Japan, he was best known for his fishing comedy series, Tsuribaka Nisshi ("The Fishing Maniac's Diary"), which spans 21 episodes. Outside Japan Nishida was best known for his portrayal of Pigsy in the first season of the TV series Monkey, or for his role in the 2008 film The Ramen Girl, as the sensei of American actress Brittany Murphy's character.

Nishida was nominated 10 times for a Japanese Academy Award and won twice, once for best actor in The Silk Road in 1988 as Gakko, and once for best actor in Tsuribaka Nisshi 6 in 1993.^[5] He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor in 2003 for Get Up! and Tsuribaka Nisshi 14.^[6]

In 2017, Nishida reprised his role as yakuza underboss Nishino in Takeshi Kitano's Outrage trilogy to positive reviews.

In 2018, Nishida received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, alongside comedian Takeshi Kitano.^[7]

Nishida served as president of the Japan Actors Union and vice president of the Japan Academy Film Prize Organization Committee.^[8][9] He was a 'Frontier Ambassador' for his hometown of Kōriyama City.^[10]

• Medal with Purple Ribbon (2008)^[33]
• Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2018)^[34]