is a Japanese actor, singer and television presenter best known for his career as General Tani in Takeshi's Castle and Commander Sugata in Hikari Sentai Maskman. He is affiliated to the Goodfellows agency and has a business partnership with Anemoi Entertainment, the agency representing singer and actor Gentaro Takahashi.

Biography

He was born in Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan and raised in Sasebo, Nagasaki. Tani himself said to be "born in Kagoshima, Kyushu and grew up in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture".

During a summer school vacation in his third year of middle school, Tani debuted in acting at the age of 15, when he played the role of Younger Taritari in the TV drama Shonen Kenya in 1961, (where he was credited under his real name Hajime Iwatani). In the spring of 1963, after passing the New Face exam at Nikkatsu, where Yujiro Ishihara, who Tani long admired, also worked. He dropped out of St. Paul's High School two years later and starred in a film for the company, but shortly left afterwards. Tani himself dismissed said stories as "nonsense", declaring "I didn't like studying, so I dropped out of high school because I was working in the nightlife industry. I ran a kissaten, worked as a cook apprentice in the Yoyogi Park and as a low-rank staff member at a hostess club in Shinjuku. While I was working in the nightlife business, someone from Nikkatsu approached me and I stayed there for a few months. They called me a new face, but I wasn't. I mostly worked part-time at Nikkatsu, so there was nothing at all."., and immediately acepted the offer. In 1966, However, Tani stated "I was working at a Shibuya kissaten run by the girlfriend of Yoshihiro Kawaguchi from Theatre de Poche, and I was scouted there by Kawaguchi and Shingo Kobayashi from Horipro. He began making appearances in idol magazines like Weekly Myojo, with articles about his work in Delinquent Boss were published as well. He also made regular appearances as one of the main cast members in the series following Key Hunter, Eyeful Daisakusen (1974-1975) and Birdie Daisakusen.

Personal life

In 1971, when Tani's popularity among women increased thanks to his appearances in TV dramas such as Key Hunter, he married fashion model Michiko Oka (in 1967, Tani saw a flyer for Oka's model club "Central" and fell in love with her at first sight, leading Oka to introduce herself to him)., and immediately acepted the offer. In 1966 At the time, Tani was 24 years old and was not in a rush to get married. Since his partner was a fashion model and not a famous actress, both of Tani's parents and Toei strongly opposed the marriage, as the latter considered Tani as part of the next generation of stars to succeed Ken Takakura and other actors. On June of the same year, they held their wedding ceremony in a Swiss church, a place he had dreamed of since his elementary school days during the filming of Birdie Daisakusen. The reason was said that Tani's mother did not like Oka as a bride.

He first met his future second wife, Kikko Matsuoka, in high school and later co-starred with her in the TV dramas Key Hunter, Eyeful Daisakusen and Birdie Daisakusen. In 1981, they got married in 1981, and, as a couple, they appeared on several television shows. The couple has often appeared on TV Tokyo's travel and gourmet programs.

Tani is currently writing a dining guide wherein he discusses maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Anedoctes

  • While working for Nikkatsu, one day during filming, there was a scene where Tani had to jump off a cliff into the sea, and everyone was trembling in fear, saying "If there is a rock sticking out, we'll get killed!", Tani was the first to jump in, bravely saying "Let me do it!" When he emerged from the sea, the other actors who were present harshly scolded him, saying, "What a horrible and despicable guy! Does he has to go to such lengths to make himself look good?". On the other hand, he was fed up with the unreasonable people who saw things in their perspective, despite his good faith, leading Tani to part his ways with Nikkatsu,
  • When he was cast as a co-star with Ken Takakura, he complained about the few lines his character had, which was a bitter experience for him, forcing him to withdraw. Since Takakura wrote the role for Tani, the latter immediately apologised and said that it made his friendship with Takakura even more deeper. From then on, he became Takakura's protegé and admired him for a long time. Due to his friendship with Takakura, Tani was also liked by Masao Kubo, chairman of Tohnichi Trading Co., Ltd,

Filmography

Film

  • Delinquent Girl Yoko (非行少女ヨーコ) (1966)
  • Abashiri Prison: Northern Seacoast Story (網走番外地 荒野の対決) (1966)
  • Abashiri Prison: Duel in the South (網走番外地 南国の対決) (1966)
  • Rampaging Dragon of the North (1966), Shinkichi
  • Abashiri Prison: Challenge to the Evil (網走番外地 悪への挑戦) (1967)
  • Abashiri Prison: Battle in the Blizzard (網走番外地 吹雪の斗争) (1967), Tani
  • Zoku Soshiki Bōryoku (1967), Sugii
  • Secret Turkish Bath (1968), Yutaka
  • Young Eagles of the Kamikaze (あゝ予科練) (1968), Katsumi Shoji
  • Delinquent Boss (不良番長) (1968)
  • Delinquent Boss: Ocho, the She-Wolf (不良番長 猪の鹿お蝶) (1969)
  • Delinquent Boss: Detention Blues (不良番長 練鑑ブルース) (1969)
  • Delinquent Boss: Escort Wolf (不良番長 送り狼) (1969)
  • Delinquent Boss: Rat Thief Strategy (不良番長 どぶ鼠作戦) (1969)
  • Night Song Series: Nagasaki Blues (夜の歌謡シリーズ 港町ブルース)(1969)
  • Night Song Series: Minatomachi Blues (夜の歌謡シリーズ 長崎ブルース)(1969)
  • Night Song Series: Akudo Blues (夜の歌謡シリーズ 悪党ブルース) (1969)
  • New Abashiri Prison: The Vagrant comes to Port Town (新網走番外地 さいはての流れ者) (1969)
  • Delinquent Boss: Checkmate (不良番長 王手飛車) (1970)
  • Delinquent Boss: Instant Fortune (不良番長 一攫千金) (1970)
  • Delinquent Boss: Wolves of the City, Take your Chance (不良番長 出たとこ勝負) (1970)
  • Delinquent Boss: Hooligans on Buggies (不良番長 暴走バギー団) (1970)
  • The Japan Derby Race (日本ダービー 勝負) (1970)
  • New Abashiri Prison: A Wolf in the Blizzard (新網走番外地 吹雪のはぐれ狼) (1970)
  • Delinquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dream (ずべ公番長 夢は夜ひらく) (1970), Tony
  • The Experience (経験) (1970), Toshio Sakurai
  • Delinquent Girl Boss: Ballad of Yokohama Hoods (ずべ公番長 はまぐれ数え唄) (1971)
  • Abashiri Prison: Storm at Cape Shiretoko (新網走番外地 嵐呼ぶ知床岬) (1971)
  • New Abashiri Prison Story: Escape in the Blizzard (新網走番外地 吹雪の大脱走) (1971)
  • Delinquent Street (不良街) (1972)
  • Night Song Series: Love Lost in Tears (夜の歌謡シリーズ なみだ恋) (1973)
  • Cruel High School:Bad Boy (非情学園ワル) (1973)
  • Cruel High School: Teacher Hunt (非情学園ワル 教師狩り)(1973)
  • School of the Holy Beast (1974), Kenta Aoki
  • Cruel High School: Bad Boy - Iron Bound Classmate (非情学園ワル ネリカン同期生) (1974)
  • Minato no Yoko Yokohama Yokosuka (港のヨーコ・ヨコハマ・ヨコス) (1975)
  • Rugby Yaro (ラグビー野郎) (1976)
  • Otokogumi Shonen Keimusho (男組 少年刑務所) (1976)
  • Sayama Saiban (狭山裁判) (1976)
  • Pepper '80 (ピーマン80) (1979)
  • Empress (女帝) (1983)
  • Kekkon Annai Mystery (結婚案内ミステリー), (1985), Goro Kinoshita
  • Hikari Sentai Maskman: The Movie (1987), Commander Sanjuro Sugata

Television

TV dramas

  • Shonen Kenya (1961, NET), Younger Taritari (credited as "Hajime Iwatani")
  • Tokubetsu Kidou Sosaitai (1961, NET):
  • Ronin Student Sakamoto (Episode 210, 1965)
  • Shinichi (Episode 291, 1967)
  • Yasuo (Episode 329, 1968)
  • Aru Yuki no Kiroku (1967, NET) - Episode 29
  • Key Hunter (1968–73, TBS), Tatsuhiko Shima
  • Judo Icchokusen (1969, TBS) - Episode 1 "Kakkoiizo Jigokusha"
  • Eyeful Daisakusen (1973, TBS) - Yuji Ibuki
  • Birdie Daisakusen (1974, TBS) - Yuji Ibuki
  • Terauchi Kantaro Ikka 2 (1974, TBS) - Daisuke Terauchi
  • Moeru Sosamo (1975, TBS) - Ryu Saku
  • Dai Hijosen (1976, TBS) - Tetsuo Takayama
  • Versailles no Truck Nee-chan (1976, NET) - Episode 18 "Tokyo no Koi ni Hadaka wa Nureru"
  • Akai Shogeki (1976, TBS/Daiei TV) - Jiro Yano
  • Owarinaki Fusai (1977, NHK Saturday Drama)
  • Mu (1977, TBS) - Juzo
  • Taiyo ni Hoero!:
  • Episode 237 (1977) - Noboru Mizusawa
  • Episode 507 (1982) - Kohei Yuki
  • Ashita no Keiji (1977) - Detective Ota
  • Yokomizo Seishi Series I/Yoru Aruku (1978, MBS) - Torata Yashiro
  • Mu Ichizoku (1978, TBS) - Masao Tani
  • Necchu Jidai (1978, NTV) - Shinpachiro Komiya
  • Necchu Jidai - Keiji-hen (1979, NTV) - Takamori Senba
  • Asahigaoka no Daitoryo (1979, NTV/Union Eiga)
  • Naze ka Hatsukoi - Minamikaze (1980, TBS) - (credited as Takahiro Iwatani)
  • Kumokiri Nizaemon (1979, KTV)
  • Drama Ningen Moyo (1980, NHK) - "Sono Hashi Made" (credited as "Takahiro Iwatani")
  • The Hangman, (ABC)
  • Episode 28 (1981) - Inspector Kanetani (credited as <nowiki></nowiki>)
  • The Hangman V - Episode 23 (1986) - Kenichi Shimada (Johnny Shimada)
  • Morishige Hisaya no Oyaji wa Juku-nen (1981, TV Asahi) - Episode 18 "Furoban ga Shacho-desu", Kenichi (credited as Takahiro Iwatani)
  • Ginga Drama Shosetsu - (NHK)
  • Meguri Aite (1982) - Shinya
  • Meiwaku Kakete Arigato (1984) - Tasaki
  • G-Men '75 (TBS) -
  • Episode 355 (1982) - Joji Tamiya
  • G-Men '82 - Episode 17 (1983)- Kazuma Ryumon
  • Ōoka Echizen Series 6 (1982, TBS) - Episode 15 - Iyoshi
  • Jidaigeki Special (19, CX) - "Himeshiro Nagaretabi'"- Hyoma Odagiri
  • Ōoku (1983, KTV) - Shichinosuke Ohara (episodes 35-36)
  • Matsumoto-seicho no Renkan (1983, Asahi TV) - Minoru Wakuda
  • Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983, NHK Taiga drama), Ōno Harunaga
  • Mado no Naka no Satsujin Rikon shita Jo Kirai na Zenfu ga Watashi okasu... (1983, TV Asahi) - Yoichi
  • Keiji Monogatari '85 (1985, TV Asahi) - Episode 2 "Terebi Star Satsujin Jiken" - Akihiko Matsumoto
  • Hana Yomei Jo wa Dare ga Kiru (1986, Fuji TV) - Shoji Todo
  • Fuun Edo-jo Doto no Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu (1987 , TX, Toei) - Yagyu Toshikane
  • Hikari Sentai Maskman (1987–1988, TV Asahi), Commander Sanjuro Sugata*
  • Otoko ga Nakanai Yoru wa Nai (1987, Fuji TV) - Tadao Sakakura
  • Otoko-tachi no Undo-kai (1989, NHK)
  • Tennis Shojo Yume Densetsu! Ai to Kyoko (1990, Fuji TV) - Kenjiro Fujiyama
  • Kaseifu wa Mita! - "Ginza - Kyōto kyoshoku to yokubō ni moeru utsukushī oyako no adeyakana himitsu" (1990, TV Asahi/TV Daiei) - Matsuo Hotta
  • Daikoku '92 (1992, NTV) - Akira Kenmochi
  • Tensai Terebi-kun MAX (2006, NHK) - (Lamp no Obaa-chan) - Curio dealer
  • Tuesday Drama Gold/Daijoyu Satsujin Jiken (2007, NTV) - Satoru Toba
  • Napoleon no Mura (2015, TBS) - Yokichi Tayama

Variety shows

  • Star Tanjō! (1980, Fuji TV) - Presenter (alongside Tamori)
  • Takeshi's Castle (1986&ndash;1990, TBS), Captain Tani/General Tani / Lee
  • Takeshi's Castle (2023, Amazon Prime Video), Captain Tani/General Tani
  • Tunnels no Minna-san no Okage desu (とんねるずのみなさんのおかげです) (1990, Fuji TV) - starred as "Phelbs" in the "Spy Daisakusen '90" sketch
  • Sanji no Ai Love! Bakusho Click (1993, Kansai TV)
  • All-Star Thanksgiving (2005, TBS)
  • Gekitoku! Tani-Taicho no Oneuchi Yado-tettei Guide (激得!谷隊長のお値打ち温泉宿徹底ガイド) (2008, Tabi Channel)
  • Geki e! Jimoto no Hito ga Oshieru! Ni-paku San-nichi no Tabi (激得!地元の人が教える!2泊3日の旅) (2008)
  • Taya-chan Guide (旅ちゃんガイド) (2008)
  • Kami-sama~a 〜zu (神さまぁ〜ず) (2008, TBS)
  • Shiru Shiru Mishiru (2008, TV Asahi) - appeared in place of Eiji Bando
  • Nanikore Chinhyakkei (TV Asahi):
  • Appeared in the audience alongside Kikko Matsuoka (2009)
  • Made an interview alongside Kiko Matsuoka about a store in Namie (Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture) where the customers self-declared the prices at the checkout. (2010)
  • Tsuchiyo Special Hanameguri no Tabi (2010, TV Tokyo)
  • Watashi no Nan ga Ike nai no? (TBS TV) - semi-regular (with Kikko Matsuoka as a couple)
  • Ohiru no Kaiketsu TV (2018-2019, Chiba TV)

Puppet shows

  • Puppet theater, the Three Kingdoms (NHK, 1982) - Liu Bei Xuande, other roles
  • Hige yo Saraba (NHK, 1984)- Owl

Radio

  • Tsūhan! Nari Yuki Bangumi Taichō @ Tani Hayato no Fūun Radio Shopping (2019, NBC Radio and others)

Commercials

  • Nissan - Nissan Bluebird 1600 (1968)
  • Isojiman (unknown year)

Discography

Singles

King Records

  • Bara to Kawajan (薔薇と革ジャン) - 1969
  • Yoake no Kuchibue (夜明けの口笛') - 1970
  • Otoko no Nagare Uta (男の流れ歌) - 1970
  • Toku e Ikitai (遠くへ行きたい) - 1971

CBS Sony

  • Ōkami wa ni-do hoeru (狼は二度吠える) - 1974

Nippon Columbia

  • Ashita naki Otoko no Barado (明日なき男のバラード) - 1974

Albums

  • Utau Star Daishugo (歌うスター大集合) - 1991 - Compilation album
  • Kisetsuhazure no Akai Bara (季節はずれの赤いバラ) - 1974 - Theme song of the Toei film Cruel High School Bad Boy (非情学園ワル ネリカン同期生, Hijo gakuen waru - nerikan dokise)
  • Ōkami wa ni-do hoeru (狼は二度吠える) - 1974 - Insert song of the Toei film Cruel High School Bad Boy
  • Ashita naki Otoko no Barado (明日なき男のバラード) - 1974 - Insert song of TBS TV drama Birdie Daisakusen (バーディー大作戦) character Yuji Ibuki

References