Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano/Zatoichi
Happy Birthday!
Takeshi Kitano was born on January 18, 1947.

Kitano received the best actor award playing a Korean father in an acclaimed family drama Blood and Bones directed by Korean Yoichi Sai.
Yoichi Sai said in Time Asia that he waited six years for Kitano to become available to play the lead role. He refused to shoot the film with anyone else. Midnight Eye recent interview, here.
Here is his misadventure in the curry shop business.

The spectacular tap dancing, from zatoichi was the only thing that lifted me out of the deep funk we all sank in after our electoral fiasco. Recently I caught a TV intro for the figure skating championship that tries to copy the tap dance but it looked lame and lifeless by comparison. On tap dancing, Kitano says, ” I discovered the type of tap dancing Gregory Hines performed without music, I thought it was amazing. A few years ago, I became acquainted with the Japanese tap dancing team called “The Stripes.” I saw their show and was completely fascinated by their dancing. I was awestruck as to how different their style was from the traditional style in which I was trained. That’s how I came to use The Stripes in Zatoichi. ” (From Kungfu cinema article.)

Here is Beach by Lars Iyer his review on Sanatine.