Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba died at a hospital in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday. He was 82 years old.

The actor had reportedly contracted COVID-19 at the end of last month and was treated without being hospitalized, according to Japanese media reports. His pneumonia worsened, however, and he was hospitalized on Aug. 8.

Chiba was born Sadaho Maeda in Fukuoka in 1939, moving to Chiba Prefecture when he was 4. After being discovered in a talent search, he joined Toei Studios in 1959 and took the moniker Shinichi Chiba.

He made a name for himself on television, particularly in the spy thriller show “Key Hunter” (1968). However, Chiba was largely known for his martial arts skills, namely the 1973 film “Battles Without Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima” and “The Street Fighter” (1974), which received a wide release overseas.

Noted for his awe-inspiring fight scenes, Chiba has been called the Bruce Lee of Japan.

Chiba established the Japan Action Club in 1970, a training school for aspiring martial arts film actors.

According the Internet Movie Database, as an actor, Chiba has more than 200 credits to his name.

Film director Quentin Tarantino was instrumental in introducing Chiba to a larger overseas audience.

In “True Romance” (1993), Christian Slater’s character watches a Chiba triple feature. In the director’s blockbuster “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003), Chiba himself appears as sword maker-turned-sushi chef Hattori Hanzo, a nod to the character he played in “Shadow Warriors” (“Kage no Gundan”), a Japanese TV series in the 1980s.

Chiba married actress Yoko Nogiwa in 1972, though the couple divorced in 1994. He remarried Tamami Chiba in 1996, which also ended in divorce in 2015.

He is survived by three children, Juri Manase (46), Mackenyu Arata (24) and Gordon Maeda (21), who are also actors.

In line with COVID-19 guidelines, the government is strongly requesting that residents and visitors exercise caution if they choose to visit bars, restaurants, music venues and other public spaces.

Adblock test (Why?)