UPDATED: Actor Osugi Ren has passed away

Actor Osugi Ren, best known for his roles in Kitano Takeshi’s yakuza films such as “HANA-BI” and “Sonatine” and recently for “Shin Godzilla” has passed away on Wednesday from a heart attack.

According to his agency, Osugi who has been appearing on the TV Tokyo drama “By Players” was at a drama shoot for the fifth episode in Chiba prefecture on the 20th and completed around 9 p.m.

He and his fellow co-stars went out to eat and he returned back to his hotel at 11:00 p.m. and then Osugi was complaining about having abdominal pain.

Along with actor Matsushige Yutaka (55), they took the taxi and headed to the hospital.

In the hospital, Osugi’s family, Matsushige, Endo Katsuichi, Tomorrow Taguchi, Mitsuishi Ken and production staff arrived.

Osugi passed away at 3:53 a.m. from a heart attack.

Kitano Takeshi found out about Osugi’s passing while recording his TV Asahi program.

Kitano said, “My manager told me of Osugi Ren’s passing.  It took awhile for me to understand that Osugi has passed away.  Even though I knew he passed away and his death was mentioned many times on media, I couldn’t really understand it.  It started to bother me.  But then I started to think, ‘Ren?’  Ren? and then the magnitude of his death hit me.”

A release was made on Osugi’s agency, ZACCO’s website:

To everyone,

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support.

Osugi Ren died of an acute heart failure at 3:53 a.m. on February 21, 2018 at the age of 67.  The funeral will be carried out by relatives as to the instruction by  Mr. Osugi and his family.

We thank his co-stars and his supporters who cared for him and also for their generosity.

We will inform everyone on a farewell party as soon as details are decided.

February 21, Heisei 19

Zakko

Representative Director Osugi Hiromi

The cast of “By Players” released the following comment:

It was too sudden and all of us are unable to accept this reality.  The feeling of loss for Mr. Osugi, he was our leader and spiritual pillar who has suddenly disappeared, is hard to fathom.

On his last day, as an actor, he stayed for his scene, making all of us laugh.  From the bottom of our hearts, we respect and are proud of Ren and we will forever miss him.

Thank you for your hard work.  Please rest in peace.

Osugi Ren, thank you.

By Players

Endo Kenichi, Tomorrow Taguchi, Matsushige Yuta, Mitsuishi Ken

For those who followed Osugi’s blog, he was very dedicated to his cat “Tora” and his chihuahua “Kaze”.

In 2008, Osugi was in the film “Nekonade” and revolved around the head of the personnel department portrayed by Osugi’s character has a new lease on life after meeting a kitten named “Torako”.  After filming, Osugi pleased with the animal production crew that he wanted to raise Torako and he would get the opportunity to raise the cat, which he renamed “Tora”.

Osugi’s final post on his blog was about his dear cat Tora.

Fans also outside of Japan are mourning the death of Osugi Ren.  Osugi is known for his role on “Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, “Shin Godzilla”

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