held on July 23, at the Ikegami Honmon-ji temple in the Ōta ward of Tokyo. His grave is at the same temple. It has been said that in the time before his death, Raizō deliriously entreated that nobody be allowed to see his face when he died. His wife, Masako Ōta, staunchly denies these claims, stating “Raizō never gave up on recovery, even until the end; he never even wrote a will.” Nevertheless, after his death Raizō's face was wrapped in two layers of white cloth, which remained in place even as he was cremated. According to Masako, Raizō had said only “I don’t want anyone to see how dreadfully thin I've become,” and because of that wish she had not allowed anyone aside from his adopted father, Jukai, and his company president, Nagata, to see his face after his death. Raizō's final film, Bakuto Ichidai: Chimatsuri Fudō, was an example of the then-popular ninkyō eiga – pro-yakuza films – produced by Toei Studios. Raizō was reluctant to participate, saying “Should I just reheat the scraps left by Kōji Tsuruta?” – Tsurata being an actor well known for performing in such films – but Masayoshi Tsuchiya convinced him, saying “I’ll make sure you get the next role you want to play.” The following year Tsuchiya expressed deep regret that this role which Raizō had not wanted to play had become his last. In 1971, two years after Raizō's death, Daiei Studios filed for bankruptcy. Seiji Hoshikawa reflected on this, saying “Raizō’s death was a precursor to Daiei’s bankruptcy.” Raizō's Legacy (July 17, 1969 – Present) In 1974, five years after Raizō's death, a fan club called “Raizō-kai” was formed. This fan club is still functioning as of this writing in 2012. According to Masaki Matsubara, once president of Daiei Kyoto Studios, Raizō's fans were drawn in by his acting and his humanity, and thus, unlike many other stars of the time, his fanbase had the rare characteristic of having many intelligent and educated female fans. “You didn’t see the type that only squealed and caused a big fuss,” he said. The “Ichikawa Raizo Film Festival,” in which a selection of his films are shown, became an annual event, held each year on the anniversary of his death, July 17. From December 2009 until May 2011 an especially large event was held and his performances were screened to commemorate the 40th