Masashi Ishibashi (actor)

Masashi Ishibashi (石橋雅史, Ishibashi Masashi; January 4, 1933 – December 19, 2018), was a Japanese karateka and actor. A 7th dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate, he was an early instructor of the style under Mas Oyama, with notable students including Sonny Chiba and Terutomo Yamazaki.

As an actor, Ishibashi had an extensive career in Japanese television, where was famous as portraying villains in historical dramas. He had significant presence in television productions like NHK's Taiga drama series, The Unfettered Shogun, and the Hissatsu series. He also had frequent roles in various 1970s and 1980s tokusatsu series, most notably in Super Sentai series. His movie career was mostly specialized in martial arts movies and crime dramas, including many with his longtime student Chiba.