Kane Kosugi
Encyclopedia
born in Los Angeles
, California
is a American
martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi
. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento (foreign talent) due to his Nisei
(second generation foreign born) heritage.
Since 1983, Kosugi has appeared in various roles as a voice actor for video games, stunt actor
in movies, and character actor in both English-language
and Japanese-language
films. His first movie, Revenge of the Ninja
, had him playing the son of his real life father, Sho. He even kept his real name in the movie. He has also been in other movies starring his father as well. With the intention of following in his father's footsteps, Kane trained to become a martial arts actor. Kane has an extensive martial arts background in Wushu
, Ninjutsu
, Tae Kwon Do, Karate
, Judo
, and Kendo
.
He made his Japanese acting debut in the 1994 television series Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
, an installment in Toei Company
's Super Sentai
franchise. Kane was the only American-born cast member of Kakuranger and his character (Jiraiya) spoke almost exclusively in English during his first few episodes.
He could be seen regularly on the NHK
children's program Karada de Asobo (体で遊ぼ), which was a weekday exercise show that ran until March 2010. He also does commercial spots for vitamin drinks and regularly appears on a physical challenge show called Kinniku Oukoku (筋肉王国), formerly known as Kinniku Banzuke
. His most recent Hollywood project was the action-thriller, War, with Jason Statham
and Jet Li
in which he played an unnamed Yakuza
member.
He has a brother, Shane, who also made occasional appearances on Kinniku Banzuke (known on G4 as Unbeatable Bansuke).
(known in America as Ninja Warrior) for several years. Thus far he is one of only three foreigners, and the only American, to make it to the Final Stage, out of 2,400 total competitors to date and sixteen different Final Stage competitors. He stopped participating after the 8th competition because he said "I would like to compete if I have time to train.", however he still remains the only competitor to compete five times without failing the first stage. Here is a list of information regarding his participation including competition number, his number out of 100 competitors, as well as the stage and obstacle he was eliminated on.
, but broke up in 2005 when they seemed on the verge of marriage. In December 2009, Kane married a woman from Hong Kong
.
in April 2007, "My son is a coward!" (息子は卑怯だ), saying Kane "stabbed me in the back" and at one point made a reference to Judas Iscariot
.
However, Sho was seen at Kane's wedding in late 2009, indicating that they are reconciling or already have.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is a American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi
Sho Kosugi is a Japanese martial artist with training in shindō jinen-ryū karate who gained popularity as an actor during the 1980s, usually playing a ninja. He is the father of Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi. After taking a hiatus from film, he started a taiko group in California...
. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento (foreign talent) due to his Nisei
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
(second generation foreign born) heritage.
Since 1983, Kosugi has appeared in various roles as a voice actor for video games, stunt actor
Stunt actor
A Stunt actor or Stunt actress is a person who both plays an essential acting role and actively perform his or her own physical demanding stunts without a stunt double for scenes in a film or television, commonly in the action genre...
in movies, and character actor in both English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Japanese-language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
films. His first movie, Revenge of the Ninja
Revenge of the Ninja
Revenge of the Ninja is an action movie starring Shô Kosugi as a ninja. It is considered part of a ninja trilogy, starting with Enter the Ninja and ending with Ninja III: The Domination , but the stories are not directly related...
, had him playing the son of his real life father, Sho. He even kept his real name in the movie. He has also been in other movies starring his father as well. With the intention of following in his father's footsteps, Kane trained to become a martial arts actor. Kane has an extensive martial arts background in Wushu
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
, Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
, Tae Kwon Do, Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, and Kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
.
He made his Japanese acting debut in the 1994 television series Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
was TOEI Company Limited's eighteenth production of the Super Sentai television series. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is Ninja Rangers....
, an installment in Toei Company
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
's Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
franchise. Kane was the only American-born cast member of Kakuranger and his character (Jiraiya) spoke almost exclusively in English during his first few episodes.
He could be seen regularly on the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
children's program Karada de Asobo (体で遊ぼ), which was a weekday exercise show that ran until March 2010. He also does commercial spots for vitamin drinks and regularly appears on a physical challenge show called Kinniku Oukoku (筋肉王国), formerly known as Kinniku Banzuke
Kinniku Banzuke
a.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke was a weekly Japanese television program and the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System . Its successors were and . They succeeded by Muscle Musical...
. His most recent Hollywood project was the action-thriller, War, with Jason Statham
Jason Statham
Jason Statham born 12 September1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Revolver, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
and Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
in which he played an unnamed Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
member.
He has a brother, Shane, who also made occasional appearances on Kinniku Banzuke (known on G4 as Unbeatable Bansuke).
SASUKE
Kane has competed on Kinniku Banzuke/Oukoku's special show SASUKESasuke (TV series)
Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries....
(known in America as Ninja Warrior) for several years. Thus far he is one of only three foreigners, and the only American, to make it to the Final Stage, out of 2,400 total competitors to date and sixteen different Final Stage competitors. He stopped participating after the 8th competition because he said "I would like to compete if I have time to train.", however he still remains the only competitor to compete five times without failing the first stage. Here is a list of information regarding his participation including competition number, his number out of 100 competitors, as well as the stage and obstacle he was eliminated on.
- 1st competition (89) Third Stage - Pillar Path
- 4th competition (97) Third Stage - Cliff Hanger
- 6th competition (98) Third Stage - Body Prop
- 7th competition (98) Second Stage - Spider Walk
- 8th competition (91) Final Stage - Final Rope
Personal
Kane has a brother, Shane, who made occasional appearances on Kinniku Banzuke (known on G4 as Unbeatable Bansuke). He was romantically involved with female golfer Riko HigashioRiko Higashio
- Amateur career :Higashio was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a teenager, she won the 1993 Japan Amateur Championship and the 1994 Japan Junior Championship.Higashio first attended Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan...
, but broke up in 2005 when they seemed on the verge of marriage. In December 2009, Kane married a woman from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Rift with father
Kosugi and his father are seemingly no longer on speaking terms due to Kane choosing a career in Japanese television instead of helping to run some of his schools under the banner of his institute, and even taking some of Sho's staff with him. In reference to Kane, Sho was reported as saying on a television show with fortuneteller Kazuko HosokiKazuko Hosoki
is a Japanese fortune teller, as well as the author of over 100 books. Hosoki appeared frequently on the original Iron Chef, where she would serve as one of the four celebrity judges that would determine the outcome of each match.-Thinking:...
in April 2007, "My son is a coward!" (息子は卑怯だ), saying Kane "stabbed me in the back" and at one point made a reference to Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
.
However, Sho was seen at Kane's wedding in late 2009, indicating that they are reconciling or already have.
Selected filmography
- Revenge of the NinjaRevenge of the NinjaRevenge of the Ninja is an action movie starring Shô Kosugi as a ninja. It is considered part of a ninja trilogy, starting with Enter the Ninja and ending with Ninja III: The Domination , but the stories are not directly related...
(1983) - The MasterThe Master (TV series)The Master is a short-lived ninja-themed action-adventure TV series created by Michael Sloan which aired on NBC. The show focused on the adventures of John Peter McAllister, an aging ninja master , and his young pupil, Max Keller...
, "A Place to Call Home" (1984) - Nine Deaths of the Ninja (1985)
- Pray for DeathPray For DeathPray For Death is a 1985 American martial arts action film starring Sho Kosugi.-Plot:The movie's plot centers on a Japanese man and his family moving to America to start a new life. But they find themselves the target of an American gangster who believes the family has in their possession a stolen...
(1985) - Black EagleBlack Eagle (film)Black Eagle is a 1988 American martial artist movie set on the Mediterranean island of Malta.-Plot:The motion picture takes place with the summoning of a Japanese martial artist Ken Tami , assigned on a U.S. Governmental mission to retrieve a top secret laser tracking device that was on board a...
(1988) - Journey of Honor (1991) also known as Shogun Mayeda
- The Fighting King (1993)
- Ultraman: The Ultimate HeroUltraman: The Ultimate HeroUltraman: The Ultimate Hero is a tokusatsu series produced in the US in 1993 by Major Havoc Entertainment and Tsuburaya Productions , with a total of 13 episodes...
(1993) - Ninja Sentai KakurangerNinja Sentai Kakurangerwas TOEI Company Limited's eighteenth production of the Super Sentai television series. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is Ninja Rangers....
(1994) - Legend of The St. Dragon (1996) - Television show/Episode 07
- Cat's EyeCat's Eye (1997 film)Cat's Eye is a 1997 Japanese film directed by Kaizo Hayashi and starring Yuki Uchida and Norika Fujiwara. It is a live-action movie adaptation of the famous manga and anime TV series Cat's Eye, not to be confused with a previous 1988 live-action TV movie adaptation.-Cast:* Yuki Uchida as Ai...
(1997) - Who Am I? (1998)
- Street Fighter AlphaStreet Fighter Alpha: The MovieStreet Fighter Alpha: The Animation, released in Japan as and also known as Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, is a 1999 OVA film loosely based on the Street Fighter Alpha fighting games. It was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi, with character designs by Yoshihiko Umakoshi...
(1999) Japanese voice actor for RyuRyu (Street Fighter)is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
. - Muscle HeatMuscle Heat (AKA Blood Heat)Muscle Heat is a 2002 Japanese action film starring Kane Kosugi and directed by Ten Shimoyama.- Plot :...
(2002) - Godzilla: Final WarsGodzilla: Final Warsis a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
(2004) - DOA: Dead or AliveDOA: Dead or AliveDOA: Dead or Alive is a 2006 ensemble martial arts film loosely based on the Tecmo/Team Ninja fighting game series of the same name. Directed by Corey Yuen and written by J. F. Lawton, Adam and Seth Gross....
(2006) - War (2007)
- Fujiko F. Fujio's Parallel Space (2008) (television)
- CowebCowebCoweb is a 2009 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Xiong Xin Xin. It is Xiong Xin Xin's debut as a director in this film starring newcomer Jiang Lui Xia, Sam Lee, and Eddie Cheung.-Cast:* Jiang Lui Xia* Sam Lee* Eddie Cheung* Kane Kosugi...
(2009) - Timeless (2009)
- Baton (2009)
- Choy Lee FutChoy Lee Fut (film)Choy Lee Fut is a 2011 Hong Kong action film directed by Tony Law and Sam Wong, starring Sammo Hung, Yuen Wah, Sammy Hung, Kane Kosugi and Stephen Wong, with special appearances by Lau Kar-wing and Dennis To.-Cast:* Sammo Hung as Chan Tin Loi...
(2011)