Photo/Illutration Toshiyuki Nishida in 2018 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

What madcap party trick will Hama-chan show us in the latest episode of “Tsuribaka Nisshi”?

That was one of the things fans of this comedy film franchise always looked forward to finding out.

In the episode set in the city of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture, Hama-chan dressed up as a bikini-clad scallop, showing off his big belly as he danced to reggae music.

Toshiyuki Nishida, the actor who played Hama-chan, later recalled, “That act was done without any prior preparation.”

Because Nishida believed spontaneity was essential to comedy, most of his on-screen exchanges with Su-san, the character played by Rentaro Mikuni, were ad-libbed.

How much of all that was acting, and where did Nishida’s real personality take over? All I can think is that he must have been completely comfortable in his role.

This extraordinary entertainer died on Oct. 17. He was 76.

The memorable characters he played range from Hama-chan to Cho Hakkai (Pigsy) in “Monkey,” Genta Ikenaga, and the bureau chief in “Detective Knight Scoop.”

Fans of different generations probably have different images of Nishida’s most representative roles. And that is proof of how long his popularity endured.

There are plenty of actors who can play cheerful and good-natured characters. But when the role also calls for stubbornness and a trace of melancholy, I doubt anyone can do it as well as Nishida did.

For a while after he arrived in Tokyo from his native Fukushima Prefecture, Nishida recalled, he was unable to make friends.

When he saw a sad expression on the face of a gorilla at Ueno Zoo one day, he felt a strong kinship, and started visiting the ape every day.

The episode is unforgettable, as it comes across as what set his acting career in motion.

Nishida observed in his memoir that humans are bundles of contradiction, capable of feeling sorrow while being funny. And he marveled, “But come to think of it, how could I have appeared in such a vast number of works and played so many different roles!”

Nishida has left us suddenly, but his grin lingers in our memories.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 19

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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