Seven Samurai's Shigeo Kato Passes Away at 94

Shigeo Kato in Kamakura in March 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to Japanese media reports, veteran Toho actor Shigeo Kato passed away at his home at 7:00 a.m. on June 14, just days shy of his 95th birthday on June 16. A private funeral was held with his daughter Yuko as chief mourner. 

Mr. Kato puts flowers on the final resting place of Akira Kurosawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I had gotten to know Mr. Kato quite well over the years. We were put in touch by screenwriter Wataru Mimura, and I first met Mr. Kato in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the summer of 2014. I last visited Mr. Kato in late October of last year with my friend Jacob. Due to COVID-19, I was reluctant to visit Mr. Kato this year.

With Mr. Kato in January 2016.

Mr. Kato's credits are too numerous to list. He is most likely the last surviving cast member of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954), and he has appeared in countless Godzilla and other monster movies for Toho. You can read the first interview I conducted with Mr. Kato last year to give you more of an idea of his career. I should have the second interview (that focuses more on his acting career) ready to publish in a few days.

Shigeo Kato was one of the kindest people I've ever met, and I'll always cherish the generosity he showed me over the years.

Rest in peace, Mr. Kato.

UPDATE (6/20): My followup interview with Mr. Kato has been published at Vantage Point Interviews.