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Martial arts legend and actor Sonny Chiba, best known for his role in the Kill Bill movies as Hanzo Hattori, has passed away today in Kimitsu, Chiba, Japan, due to COVID-19 complications, according to ETOnline. He is survived by his sons Mackenyu Arata and Gordon, along with his daughter Juri Manase.
Sonny Chiba’s Early Life
Chiba was born Sadaho Maeda on January 22, 1939, in Fukuoka, Japan. Along with his 4 siblings, Chiba and his family eventually moved to Kisarazu, Chiba when Chiba was 4 years old. While in junior high his gym teacher advised him to go into artistic gymnastics, eventually winning the National Sports Festival of Japan while only in his third year there. By 1957 he was on track to be part of the Japanese National Olympic team, but was sidelined by injuries. Then while at university, that’s when his interest in martial arts arose. He studied under master Masutatsu “Mas” Oyama and after hard work and perseverance, he would earn his black belt in October of 1965, then later receiving his fourth-degree black belt in January of 1984.
Professional Career
Chiba got his stage name from The CEO of Toei after winning a talent search competition (New Face) that was hosted by the Toei studio back in 1960. From that point on he was working consistently on Japanese TV shows and movies. He would end up starring in more than 125 films for the Toei Film Studio alone, while at the same time winning acting awards in Japan.
Then in 2003, Sonny Chiba would play the role of Hanzo Hattori in Kill Bill: Vol 1 and Kill Bill: Vol 2. the following year. Although he was not prominent in the films, his short time left a lasting impression as the recluse sword maker who gives Kiddo the weapon needed to get her revenge on the man that tried to kill her.
Timothy Beal said this about his best friend:
“Sonny passed away from COVID-19 yesterday. Such tragic news He was a great friend and an awesome client. Such a humble, caring and friendly man. We were set to work on a feature film together prior to the pandemic entitled, Outbreak Z, in which Sonny would have starred in opposite Jesse Ventura and Wesley Snipes. I will surely miss him.”
Our condolences go to Chiba’s family during this difficult time.