How did Sonny Chiba die? Tributes pour in as Kill Bill's Hattori Hanzo passes away at 82

Revered Japanese actor Sonny Chiba passed away today at the age of 82 from complications related to COVID-19. The legendary martial artist was admitted to a hospital in Kimitsu City, Chiba.

The actor had been infected by the virus in late July but was not hospitalized for treatment. This was followed by a drastic decline in health which included worsening coronary pneumonia.

Following this debilitating reveal, Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba was rushed to a hospital. According to Japan’s Oricon News, the actor had been in a state of continuous oxygen inhalation but unfortunately passed away without recovering.

He was a six-time black belt winner and was also considered an Olympic- contender athlete.

Sonny Chiba was married to Yoko Nogiwa, which ended with a divorce in 1994. The Kill Bill actor went on to tie the knot with Tamami Chiba. Their marriage ultimately ended in divorce as well in 2015.

He is survived by his children Juri Manase, Gordon Maeda and Mackenyu Arata, who followed in his footsteps and are active in the Japanese film industry.

Tributes pour in for actor Sonny Chiba, who passed away today

Sonny Chiba, whose real name was Sadaho Maeda, was born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1939. The then-trained martial artist was an Olympic hopeful but his career got side-lined after sustaining a back injury.

Chiba started his acting career in the 1960s with a tokusatsu series called "Seven Color Mask." He was known to be a Kyokushin karate expert and became one of the first Japanese actors to achieve international Hollywood stardom. The actor entered mainstream cinema with his 1974 English-dubbed movie "The Street Fighter."

Western audiences know the actor well for his performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volume 1 as Hanzo and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Sonny Chiba had also starred in over 100 Japanese films and became known for founding the Japan Action Club also known as the Kapan Action Enterprise (JAE). It is a talent agency which specializes in training actors to perform stunts and martial arts. One of JAE's notable alumni is Hiroyuki Sanada, who starred in Westworld and Mortal Kombat.

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