- Tōyama no Kin-san
is a popular character based on the historical
Tōyama Kagemoto , a samurai and official of theTokugawa Shogunate during theEdo Period of Japanese history. Inkabuki andkōdan , he was celebrated under his childhood name, Kinshirō, shortened to Kin-san. He was said to have left home as a young man, and lived among the commoners, even having a tattoo of flowering sakura trees on his shoulder. This story developed into a legend of helping the common people.The novelist Tatsurō Jinde (陣出達郎) wrote a series of books about Kin-san. Noted actor
Chiezō Kataoka starred in a series of six Toei "jidaigeki " films about him. Several Japanese television networks have aired series based on the character. These variously portrayed him pretending to be a petty hood or ayojimbo while solving crimes as the chief of police.People famous for having portrayed Kin-san on television include kabuki stars Nakamura Umenosuke IV and Ichikawa Danshirō, singers
Yukio Hashi andTeruhiko Saigō , and actorsRyōtarō Sugi ,Hideki Takahashi ,Hiroki Matsukata , andKōtarō Satomi . Saigō and Satomi portrayed Kin-san in the series "Edo o Kiru ".Film versions
Six films from Toei starred
Chiezō Kataoka :
*"Irezumi Hangan"
*"Chizakura Hangan"
*"Hayabusa Bugyō"
*"Hinotama Bugyō"
*"Tatsumaki Bugyō"
*"Sakura Hangan"Television series
*"Tōyama no Kin-san Torimono Chō" starring
Shunji Natsume onFuji Television
*"Tōyama no Kin-san" starring Ebizō Ichikawa onNippon Television
*"Tōyama no Kin-san Torimono Chō" starring Nakamura Umenosuke IV onTV Asahi (NET)
*"Gozonji Tōyama no Kin-san" starring Ichikawa Danshirō on TV Asahi (NET)
*"Gozonji Kin-san no Torimono Chō" starring Yukio Hashi on TV Asahi (NET)
*"Tōyama no Kin-san" on NET, renamed TV Asahi
**starring Ryōtarō Sugi from 1975 to 1979 (Sugi also sang the theme song)
**starring Hideki Takahashi from 1982 to 1986
*"Meibugyō Tōyama no Kin-san" starring Hiroki Matsukata on TV Asahi
**Cast included (at various times)Ryōko Sakaguchi ,Kimiko Ikegami ,Keiko Saitō ,Casey Takamine ,Tetsuo Ishidate ,Kazuo Nakamura ,Gō Wakabayashi
*"Edo o Kiru " starring Teruhiko Saigō and later Kotarō Satomi on TBS, 1975 to 1994
*"Tōyama no Kin-san" on TV Asahi starringKen Matsudaira , beginning in January, 2007
*"Oh Edo Rocket" (anime) featured Toyama as a continuing minor character
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