If you’re a chanbara or Japanese swordfight film fan, you’ve probably seen Seizo Fukumoto.  Fukumoto has died over 50,000 times on film.  He’s an actor who specializes in the art of death, or kirareyaku.

NPR’s Morning Edition has more on Fukumoto and performers from chanbara films.

Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow has a 2010 story back in 2010 about the same troupe performing stage shows in Kyoto to promote chanbara film and encourage a new generation to pick up the sword, or practice their best deathly grimace.

(Image via NPR)