but as soon as it was founded he fell ill and the company never began operations. According to Seiji Hoshikawa, director of 14 of Raizō's films, Raizō said to Hoshikawa and Kenji Misumi, “Cinema might not have that much time left. Let’s stage a play sometime, the three of us. Let’s give a new job a shot,” and more specifically “Let’s try to capture Kawatake Mokuami’s works through a modern lens.” The Final Years and Premature Death at Age 37 (June 1968 – July 17th, 1969) In June 1968, while in the process of filming Seki no Yatappe, Raizō visited a doctor because of bloody stool, and was soon admitted to the hospital. The results of his examinations clearly indicated rectal cancer, but the diagnosis was not made known to Raizō. On August 10, Raizō underwent surgery and was released from the hospital, but his family received a prognosis from his doctor stating that Raizō would “relapse in about half a year.” Raizō had possessed a weak digestive system from birth, and had previously visited a doctor for the same symptoms in January 1961, after filming Kutsukake Tokijirō. At that time he had been told simply that “there is a wound in the rectum” when examined. There's also a record of him confiding to Tetsuji Takechi, “I’m tormented by diarrhea,” in 1964, at the occasion of his performance of Kanjinchō at the Nissay Theater. After leaving the hospital, Raizo performed in the films Nemuri Kyōshirō: Akujo-gari (released January 11, 1969), and Bakuto Ichidai: Chimatsuri Fudō (released February 12, 1969), but his physical strength was rapidly dwindling, and they had to resort to a body double with voice-over for all of his scenes involving walking and movement. In February 1969, complaining of physical unwellness, Raizō was admitted to the hospital once again. After his second surgery Raizō was so weak that he couldn't swallow soup, but he deeply wished to play the role of a naval officer in the film Aa, Kaigun, and began talks with people related to the film. His recovery was not complete by the time filming began, and Daiei cast Nakamura Kichiemon II as a substitute in order to begin filming. After learning of the recast by reading it in the newspaper, Raizō never again spoke about work. He died several months later, on July 17, of liver cancer, at the age of 37. His funeral was