Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 42 (1992) award
Go Kato
かとう ごう
Kato Go
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1938-02-04 （Shirahama Village, Haibara District, Shizuoka Prefecture (now Omaezaki City), Japan）
- Died
- 2018-06-18 （Tokyo, Japan） age 80
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Actor
- Active Years
- 1962-2018
- Affiliations
- Haiyuza Theatre Company
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University, Second Faculty of Literature | Department of Drama | Drama | — | — | Japan |
Waseda University, Second Faculty of Literature
Department of Drama
/ Drama
Country:
Japan
Joined the Haiyuza Training School while enrolled and began acting activities
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Order of the Purple Ribbon | — | — | Cabinet Office (Government of Japan) | 受章 |
| 2008 | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays | — | — | Cabinet Office (Government of Japan) | 受章 |
Order of the Purple Ribbon
2001
Organization:
Cabinet Office (Government of Japan)
Result:
受章
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2008
Organization:
Cabinet Office (Government of Japan)
Result:
受章
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Castle of Sand
1974 Film / SuspenseA suspense film about a former policeman's past. Go Kato played a key role and received acclaim.
memory and the pastguilt and atonement
Ooka Echizen (TV series)
1970 TV period dramaOne of Go Kato's signature roles. He portrayed Ooka Tadasuke for over 30 years as the lead of a long-running TV series.
justicehuman compassion
Shinobu River
1972 Film / Literary adaptationA film adapted from a novel by Tetsuro Miura. Go Kato appeared as a principal romantic interest.
lovehuman relationships
Bibliography
- Sea, Roses and Cats (1980)
- Walking Man: Go Kato — Photo & Essay Collection (1985)
- Such a Beautiful Dawn (2001)
Adaptations
- Many screen adaptations of works he appeared in (e.g. The Castle of Sand, Wrongful Death)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- restrained, sincere acting styleclassical period-drama performance
- Recurring Motifs
- sense of justicefamily valueshuman compassion
Health
-
gallbladder cancer2018Died in 2018 after battling the illness
Legacy
He was active across film and television, best known for Ooka Echizen. Praised for his sincere, restrained acting, he received the Order of the Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Rising Sun and left a lasting impact on Japanese period drama and film.
Archives
- NHK Archives
- National Diet Library (materials and publications)
In Popular Culture
- Referenced and parodied as an iconic period-drama figure
- Widely recognized as the longtime lead of the long-running series Ooka Echizen
Quotes
-
I continued acting with a heart opposed to war.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun (interview, 2014) (2014)
Trivia
- Did not smoke, did not drink, and avoided gambling.
- Served as a member of the Ministry of Health's national council promoting 'Health Japan 21' and was appointed a health ambassador.
- Trained at Haiyuza and is best known for his long-running lead role in Ooka Echizen.