RIP Araki Shigeru (Kamen Rider Stronger)

[Mr. CD]

Araki Shigeru, who played Jo Shigeru/Kamen Rider Stronger, passed away from pneumonia at 5:02pm on April 14 in a Tokyo hospital:

特撮シリーズ「仮面ライダーストロンガー」で主役の「城茂」役を演じ、刑事ドラマ「特捜最前線」などでも活 躍した俳優の荒木しげるさんが、１４日午後５時２分、肺炎のため都内の病院で死去した。６３歳だった。０７ 年に食道がんの手術を受けた後も、目黒区議選に出馬。元気な姿を見せていたが、今月に入って体調を崩し、入 院していたという。

　荒木さんの親族によると、荒木さんが体調を崩して都内の病院に入院したのは今月２日。娘の正実さんが上智 大学に合格したのを誰よりも喜んでいたが、その入学式の当日だったという。

　荒木さんは０７年４月の統一地方選で、目黒区議選に無所属で出馬。落選後の７月に食道がんが見つかり、都 内の病院で全摘出手術を受けた。手術は成功したものの、食が細ったことで体重が約３０キロ減るなどして、免 疫力も落ちていたという。

　１３日の午後に危篤状態となり、妻で元女優の憲子さんと正実さんがつきっきりで励ました。夜には一度、心 臓が止まったが、家族は枕元で楽しい思い出を語り続けたという。憲子さんが「パパ、仮面ライダー格好良かっ たね」と言ったとき、荒木さんは呼応するように息を吹き返し、この日も何とか持ちこたえていたが、肺が「ア スペルギルス症」に感染していたこともあり、最後は肺炎で力尽きた。

　自身が活躍していたテレビ番組の内容から、いつも「ヒーロー」であることを意識していた荒木さん。初めて 出馬した０７年の目黒区議選で落選した後は「もう選挙には出ない」と語っていた。しかし食道がんの手術を乗 り越え、２０１１年、今度は民主党公認で再チャレンジ。結果は落選だったものの、前向きに挑戦する心は持ち 続けていた。

　元々は男性ファッション誌などでモデルを務めていたのが芸能界入りのきっかけ。高校卒業後、カレッジグル ープサウンズ「フォー・セインツ」にドラマーとして参加し、その後ドラマに進出した。最近は、グループを０ ８年に再結成したり、舞台出演をこなすなど、芸能活動も行っていた。

　通夜は１７日午後６時から、告別式は１８日の午前１１時から、いずれも「セレモニー目黒」で。喪主は妻の 憲子さんが務める。

　◆荒木　しげる（あらき・しげる）本名・荒木生徳（いくのり）。１９４９年２月９日、鹿児島・出水市生ま れ。玉川大時代に「フォー・セインツ」を結成し、６８年のデビュー曲「小さな日記」が２０万枚の大ヒット。 ７３年の解散後は、俳優に転身。７５年「仮面ライダーストロンガー」に主演。本名から「茂」に改名し、後に 「しげる」とする。２００７年、１１年の目黒区議選に立候補したが落選。０８年、フォー・セインツ再結成に 参加した。主な出演作は「暴れん坊将軍」「特捜最前線」「徳川家康」。

　◆アスペルギルス症　空気中のホコリに含まれるカビを吸い込むことで発症する感染症。症状はせき、発熱、 呼吸困難など。発症後、すぐ生死にかかわるものではないが、感染が広範囲に広がると数週間で危険な状態に陥 る。

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/entertain...OHT1T00294.htm

Actor Shigeru Araki, known for his roles in Kamen Rider Stronger and the detective show Tokusou Saizensen, died from pneumonia at 5:02pm on April 14 in a Tokyo hospital. He was 63 years old. After an operation for esophageal cancer in 2007, Araki ran for Meguro ward assemblyman. He appeared to be in good health, but this month he was admitted to the hospital.

According to Araki’s family, he fell ill and went to the hospital on April 2. He had rejoiced when he found out his daughter Masami had been admitted to Sophia University, but was unable to attend her entrance ceremony on the 2nd.

In April 2007, Araki ran independently in the general election for Meguro ward assemblyman. After his loss, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July, and underwent an operation to remove it at a Tokyo hospital. The operation was a success, but his appetite dwindled, leading him to lose over 30kg (66lbs), and his immune system suffered as a result.

He went into critical condition on the 13th in the afternoon. His wife, the former actress Noriko, and Masami were constantly by his side. His heart stopped once in the night, but his family stayed by his side, recalling happy memories. When Noriko said, “Papa, Kamen Rider was pretty cool,” Araki began to breathe again, as if in agreement. Somehow he was able to make it through that day, but aspergillosis infected his lungs and he eventually succumbed to pneumonia.

In the various television shows he appeared in, he always thought of himself as a hero. After he lost the election in 2007, he said he wouldn’t run again, but after defeating esophageal cancer, he ran again in 2011, this time under the Democratic Party of Japan ticket. He lost this time as well, but he remained positive about the experience.

Araki was originally a fashion model, and entered show business by means of his college rock band Four Saints. After that he continued to appear in dramas. The group was reformed in 2008, and they participated in plays.

The wake begins at 6pm on the 17th, and the funeral will be at 11am on the 18th. The chief mourner will be his wife Noriko.

http://henshinjustice.com/2012/04/14...r-passes-away/

[RatherOddRanger]

Never realised he ran for office.

[Mr. CD]

Fun (but sad) fact, while Riderman's and Tackle's actors had passed away a long time ago, he's the first lead Rider to die. RIP.

[Thrax]

Rest in Peace !!!

[Mr. CD]

Ryo Hayami/X Rider and Shunsuke Takasugi/Super-1 comment on Araki's passing:

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/hractors/37002286.html
http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/cgi-b...iwain&MSO=jcom

[YellowAccel]

Oh no tha'ts horrible RIP

[Mr. CD]

Hiroshi Fujioka and Uenoyama Kôichi comment on Araki’s passing:

http://henshinjustice.com/2012/04/15...rakis-passing/
http://yorunomushi.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/744/

[Ryan Steele]

RIP. Sad news

[ShinkenW]

haven't watch KR Stronger so I didn't know the actor, but it's always sad when someone dies.

RIP.

[Mr. CD]

Noriko Araki (wife of Shigeru Araki) – his last moments:

Papa’s family nickname in the Kagoshima dialect was Ikunchan. They called him by it, and he went to meet them.

Papa was mischevious, full of himself, clumsy.

The last time he spoke when he was awake, he said, “Maybe, maybe it’s too late, but I don’t want to leave you and Masami. Masami is my greatest achievement. Please, please, please. Do you understand? Please.” Over and over.

“Make sure you live a long time,” he had said to me recently. He sounded so weak and frail then, I couldn’t refuse.
Now that I think about it, back when Masami was only two years old, Papa had his colon surgery. The operation didn’t go well and he had to spend six months in the hospital. He was still pretty young back then, he even fought off pneumonia.

And his surgery six years ago.

We had come to rely on Dr. Yamakawa and his team, and the procedure went surprisingly well.

Thanks to them, we had Papa for another six years, but since he couldn’t really eat he couldn’t win this time.

On the night of the 13th, he had practically stopped breathing. He had a horrible convulsion and stopped breathing. He was on artificial respiration for nearly two hours. Papa’s pulse was 100. The doctor and nurse worked with him until they were dripping with sweat, but he didn’t breathe on his own again.

The doctor called me and Masami into another room and spoke with us. ”Let’s watch over him until the end.”

Oh, so the time has finally come, I thought.

But when we went back into his room, we desperately appealed to Papa. We talked about how when he got out of the hospital we would go to Kaminogawa, about Masami’s kindergarten days. He nodded at everything we said. When we said, Kamen Rider was pretty cool, he began to breathe on his own again. God granted us a miracle.

“That’s a strange way to put it, but it’s incredible,” the doctor said.

About a day after that, when he was unconscious again, Masami said, “We were happy,” tears streaming down her face.
That night, quietly this time, so quietly, all of the machines went to zero. ”The time is 5:02pm.” We heard the doctor say, and Masami’s tears dripped on Papa’s shoulder.

To everyone who has helped us over the years, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Translated from the original entry. ”Papa” was how Noriko called Shigeru.

http://henshinjustice.com/2012/04/17...-last-moments/

Shigeru Araki wake report:

The wake for actor Shigeru Araki (63), who died April 14 from pneumonia, was held on April 17 in a funeral hall in Tokyo. He was known for his role in Kamen Rider Sronger, among others. He was the drummer for his college rock band Four Saints, and it was revealed that he was had a great desire to fully reform the group.

The other band members shared memories of Araki at the wake. Four Saints was reformed in 2008, but Araki was unable to participate fully in its activities. According to their manager, “In the last month or two he had started saying, ‘Let’s get together one more time.’”

Tohru Uehara, the band’s leader, had visited Araki only two days before he died. When Uehara had said, “Let’s get back together one more time,” Araki had heartily agreed. The band’s bass player, Masahiro Shiga, recalled, “We weren’t good-looking, so we invited Araki to join us. He was a real Showa hottie, but his drumming needed a bit of work.”

Four Saints’s song “Chiisana Nikki” (“Tiny Diary”) played in the funeral hall. Araki’s daughter Masami (18) and wife Noriko (58) chose it. Araki bore a gentle expression inside a casket adorned with over 1000 flowers. Noriko said, “Even when times were hard and he couldn’t find work, our home was always cheerful.” Araki’s memorial photo was Masami’s favorite, taken when he was in his fifties. Other memorable photos, as well as the kimono cord he had worn when he ran for Meguro ward assemblyman, were also displayed. Including family, friends, and fans, over 500 people attended the wake.



Araki’s Kamen Rider friends also came to say goodbye. Takeshi Sasaki (64), who played Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider #2, recalled, “Lately we’d seen each other a lot at Rider events. He had said, ‘Let’s do something together.’” Shunsuke Takasugi (62), who played Kazuya Oki/Kamen Rider Super-1, said, “We had wanted to get everybody together, starting with Hiroshi Fujioka.”



Araki’s costar in the TV-Asahi drama Tokusou Saizensen, and the one who made the announcement that Araki would run for Meguro ward assemblyman and supported him during his candidacy, Diet member Katsuhiko Yokomitsu (Democratic Party of Japan) also attended the service. ”We would go drinking together a lot. He was good-looking, so he was popular with the ladies no matter where we went. He was a friendly person who would show his true feelings.” Actress Mayumi Asaka (56), who appeared with Araki in Abarenbo Shogun for four years, recalled, “We were together so much over those four years that he was like an older brother to me.”

http://henshinjustice.com/2012/04/17...i-wake-report/

Here's a performance of Chiisana Nikki: