Toshiyuki Nishida

In Japan, he was best known for his fishing comedy series, Tsuribaka Nisshi ("The Fishing Maniac's Diary"), which spans 21 episodes. Outside Japan Nishida was best known for his portrayal of Pigsy in the first season of the TV series Monkey, or for his role in the 2008 film The Ramen Girl, as the sensei of American actress Brittany Murphy's character. Nishida was nominated 10 times for a Japanese Academy Award and won twice, once for best actor in The Silk Road in 1988 as Gakko, and once for best actor in Tsuribaka Nisshi 6 in 1993. He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor in 2003 for Get Up! and Tsuribaka Nisshi 14. In 2017, Nishida reprised his role as yakuza underboss Nishino in Takeshi Kitano's Outrage trilogy to positive reviews. In 2018, Nishida received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, alongside comedian Takeshi Kitano. Nishida served as president of the Japan Actors Union and vice president of the Japan Academy Film Prize Organization Committee. He was a 'Frontier Ambassador' for his hometown of Kōriyama City.