勝 新太郎 / Shintaro Katsu (Nov 29, 1931 – June 21, 1997. nicknamed Katsu-shin)
Japanese Yakuza actor, singer, producer, and director.
Actor 若山富三郎 (Tomisaburo Wakayama) is his older brother.

His best known role was as blind Yakuza anma (masseur) Zatoichi
in the series of films by the same name, which were very popular
in the 1960s and 1970s. Katsu played Zatoichi in 25 movies
between 1962 and 1973. Cuban Former Chairperson Castro is
known as an earnest fan of the Zatoichi series.
In 1990, Prince (US Musician) offered him
I want you to appear in my PV with a figure of Zatoichi
but it was not realized by many circumstances.
The friendship of American actor Dennis Hopper and him was
famous and Hopper attend it by Japanese movie feast day,
and Hopper had a sense of closeness as an actor of the same style.

Shintaro Katsu is also known for his troubled personal life.
A heavy drinker, Katsu had several skirmishes with the law regarding
drug use as well, including marijuana, opium, and cocaine
with arrests in 1978, 1990, and 1992.
These incidents resulted in his being removed from consideration
for several parts both in Japan and abroad, amongst them
an ad campaign for Kirin Beer in Japan (the campaign was
pulled as it had already been in progress)
and the lead role in Ridley Scott's 1989 film Black Rain
(he was replaced by Ken Takakura).
He had also developed a reputation for being something
of a troublemaker on set. When director Akira Kurosawa cast him
for the lead role in Kagemusha (1980),
Katsu left before the first day of shooting was over.
Katsu had a blood brother in Australia, Queensland entrepreneur
Brian King. King teamed up with Katsu in 1979/1980 in Japan
and Australia. King and Katsu collaborated in an effort to
produce a movie based on a Japanese POW break-out
in the small Australian town of Cowra on 5 August 1944.
Over 1100 Japanese POWs took part;
231 of them died, many taking their own lives.
Plans were for Katsu to both star in and direct the film.