Shinichi Chiba pictured during an interview in November 2015.(Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese actor Shinichi Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, who dazzled action movie fans in Japan and abroad, died Thursday at a hospital in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo due to pneumonia associated with COVID-19, his office said. He was 82.

       Chiba, the Fukuoka native, gained nationwide popularity through his role in the television drama series "Key Hunter," which began in the late 1960s.

       The karate movie "Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken" in the 1970s featuring his action-filled performances became a hit in the United States, and its popularity endures outside Japan.

       Chiba also appeared in filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's 2003 movie "Kill Bill: Vol.1."

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