Koichi Iwaki

Personal information

Known for: Acting
Known credits: 80
Gender: Male
Born: March 21, 1951
Place of birth: Nakano, Tokyo, Japan
Also known as: Kôichi Iwaki

Biography

Kōichi Iwaki (岩城滉一, Iwaki Kōichi, born Lee Gwon-il) is a Japanese actor. Before entering the entertainment industry, Iwaki lived a high-profile life on the streets of Tokyo, which directly led to his discovery by movie producers. He was the vice-leader of COOLS, a legendary "hardcore" biker gang based in Harajuku and Omotesando, which he co-led with fellow future Japanese actor Hiroshi Tachi. He was scouted by the film studio Toei after photos of him riding his Harley-Davidson FLH1200 appeared in popular magazines like Heibon Punch and Weekly Playboy. Iwaki debuted in 1975 with the film Seishun Sanka: Boryoku Gakuen Dai Kakumei and quickly became the face of Toei's biker-themed "delinquent" movies.