Iconic actor Hikaru Kurosaki died on Thursday July 2 at the age of 64. The news was confirmed by colleagues in the diving industry, which he had worked in since retiring from screen. No cause of death was revealed but they shared he had been suffering with an undisclosed illness. The star began his career in the late 1970s at the Japan Action Club, performing stunts and playing foot soldiers in shows like the 1978 Toei Spider-Man. this was a Japanese live-action tokusatsu superhero TV series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name through a contract negotiated by producer Gene Pelc.
However he was best known for his role as Mega Beast investigator Juspion in the iconic 1985 series Kyoju Tokusou Juspion. The series was part of the Metal Heroes franchise. Hikaru had previously played as Shota Yamamori in the Super Sentai series, Chodenshi Bioman. His last TV role came in 1993 in the mini series Furikaereba yatsu ga iru. He stepped away from acting to become a diving instructor although he continued to appear at conventions and give interviews about his iconic roles.
He was predeceased by his wife, actress Yoko Asuka, who he met when she portrayed Fara in Bioman. The couple were married from 1987 until her death in 2011.
The legendary actor and stuntman played the protagonist Space Sherriff Gavan in the 1982 Toei Company tokusatsu series launching the entire Metal Hero Series franchise, which Hikaru became part of.
Tributes flooded in for the beloved star as devastated fans learned the news. "Rest in peace, Hikaru Kurosaki. Thank you for the memories, the courage and the inspiration that will never be forgotten," one penned on Facebook.
Writing on Reddit another added: "First, we lost our first Metal Hero and now we lost our first Post-Space Sheriff. R.I.P Juspion, you're 64 and gone way too soon. Thankfully you are reunited with your wife from Bioman."
A third chimed in: "We lost another great Metal Hero," followed by a crying emoji.
A fourth emoted: "D**n, another one? So soon after Kenji Ohba?! This hits hard... Also, 64? The guy was pretty young for today's life expectancy standards. Really, really sad news."
A fifth commented: "Rest in Peace, I remember watching Juspion yesterday." Meanwhile a sixth reflected: "Megabeast Investigator Juspion is one of my favorite Metal Heroes and he is brilliant in it. RIP."
