Denmei Suzuki

Career

Suzuki was born in Tokyo and was a championship swimmer at Meiji University when he first appeared in Souls on the Road in 1921 under the name Zeya Tōgō (東郷是也, a pun on the English "to go there"). After graduating in 1924, he joined the Nikkatsu studio and began acting under his own name. He moved to Shōchiku's Kamata studio the next year and became a major star appearing in youth films often directed by Kiyohiko Ushihara. He also worked with directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi, Minoru Murata, Masahiro Makino, and Yasujirō Shimazu.

He also directed some films and even ran for political office, though unsuccessfully.