Beloved Japanese actor most recognizable for his intense, eccentric yakuza film roles and his artificially enlarged cheekbones. He has appeared in some 300 films but is best known in the West for his performance in the cult film Branded to Kill (1967). In Japan, he is also known by the nickname "Joe the Ace" (エースのジョー Ēsu no Jō) for his popular role in the Western Fast-Draw Guy (1961).