Biography
Shōichi Ozawa was a Japanese actor, radio host, singer and researcher of Japanese folk art. Born in Tokyo on 6 April 1929, he graduated from Waseda University and made his stage debut in 1951. He founded the Shabondama-za theatre company and appeared frequently in films directed by Shōhei Imamura and Yūzō Kawashima.
Ozawa is known for roles including Katsuzô in The Ballad of Narayama (1983), the Nisshinbo Section Manager in Vengeance Is Mine (1979), Shokichi in Black Rain (1989) and the gynaecology clinic doctor in The Eel (1997). He launched a long-running radio show in 1971 and released recordings of traditional performing arts. The Japanese government awarded him the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1994 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2001. He died in Tokyo on 10 December 2012.
