Born Toshiyuki Imai in Kōriyama, Fukushima, he was adopted by his aunt's family and relocated to Tokyo as a teenager to acquire standard Japanese, entering an acting school in 1968. He rose to national prominence through the long-running fishing comedy series Tsuribaka Nisshi, appearing in twenty-one installments, and gained international recognition as Pigsy in the first season of the TV adventur…
