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One of Japan's most distinctive character actors, Eisei Amamoto is one of their cinema's few personalities who is easily recognizable to Western movie buffs. Tall (six feet) and skeletal of build, bony-faced and wild-haired (when not ensconced in a vast silver wig), Amamoto's persona inspired Woody Allen to dub him with an imitation Peter Lorre voice in What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966). He was better served by Paul Frees' menacing tones in King Kong Escapes (Kingukongu no gyakushu, 1967). But neither voice matches Amamoto's own, surprisingly deep and resonant for his scrawny, sunken-chested frame. It might have served him well had he pursued his original career choice: politics. He barely managed to dodge the draft into Japan's Pacific War, through acceptance to Tokyo University, his nation's most prestigious school. He studied law, for he wished to become a diplomat, but he soon grew disillusioned in his studies, his world view darkened by the mire into which his country was plunging through its disastrous war. A sympathetic older sister rescued him from his self-confessed nihilism by introducing him to friends in the entertainment field who encouraged Amamoto to become an actor. Through these connections, Amamoto landed a place in the highly regarded Hayuza group of stage actors, where in an early bit of what would become typecasting, he portrayed a knife-wielding madman in the play "Dojinkai". There he was spotted by director Keisuke Kinoshita, who observed "THERE'S an interesting-looking guy", and promptly cast him in a small but pivotal role in his classic Twenty-Four Eyes (1954). Amamoto later joined Toho Studios, where he was at first nothing more than a background player in the likes of Nippon Tanjo (1959). His parts grew steadily larger and more showy in the likes of Denso ningen (The Secret of the Telegian, 1960) and Yojinbo (1961). By the late 1960s he was equally recognized for samurai films like Sword of Doom and science fiction/fantasy projects like Kingukongu no gyakushu (1967). Though he could hardly be less similar to Peter Lorre, he is at least as big a cult figure in present-day Japan, lending his name and presence to any number of films, TV shows and animated productions. As well, he has cultivated a reputation as an eccentric TV talkshow presence. Always fascinated by the country of Spain, he has also played flamenco guitar on the stage, sometimes in collaboration with his friend and fellow actor Yoshio Tsuchiya. He has written several books about Spain, and spends as much time living there as he can.

Yôko Yaguchi was born on 27 August 1921 in Hong Kong. She was an actress, known for Currents of Youth (1942), Wakaki hi no yorokobi (1943) and Shûtome musume no gaika (1940). She was married to Akira Kurosawa. She died on 1 February 1985 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Kazuo Dan was born on 3 February 1912 in Tsuru, Yamanashi, Japan. He was a writer and actor, known for Kaachan kekkon shiroyo (1962), Shinsetsu Ishikawa Goemon (1951) and Yûhi to kenjû (1956). He was married to Yamada Yoso-ko and Ritsuko Takahashi. He died on 2 January 1976 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Yûzaburô Sakaguchi was born on 3 September 1941 in Fukuoka, Japan. He was an actor, known for Kamen no ninja Aka-Kage (1967), Akakage: 3-D Adventure Movie (1969) and Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972). He died on 13 July 2003 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Masakane Yonekura was born on 10 July 1934 in Fukuoka, Japan. He was an actor, known for Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970), Harukanaru sôro (1980) and Dôran (1980). He died on 26 August 2014 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Ryûzô Saki was born on 14 April 1937 in Korea. He was a writer and actor, known for The Miracle of Umitsubame Joe (1984), South to the Horizon (1986) and Under the Open Sky (2020). He died on 31 October 2015 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.

Toshimitsu Kitanoumi died on 20 November 2015 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Shizuko Natsuki was born on 21 December 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. She was a writer, known for W no higeki (1984), Danchizuma no sakebi (1983) and W no higeki (2012). She was married to Idemitsu Yoshihide. She died on 19 March 2016 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Kunie Iwahashi was born on 10 October 1934 in Hiroshima, Japan. She was a writer, known for Gyakukôsen (1956) and Joshiryôsai (1957). She was married to Eiichiro. She died on 11 June 2014 in Fukuoka, Japan.

Tappei Shimokawa was born on 11 December 1930 in Fukuoka, Japan. He was an actor, known for Manhunt (1976), Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974) and Dodes'ka-den (1970). He died on 25 March 2004 in Fukuoka, Japan.