Robert “Kinji” Shibuya passed away last week in East LA at the age of 88. Shibuya was a major star during the 1960s and early 70s. He played a traditional Japanese heel famously teaming with Masa Saito in Roy Shire’s San Fransisco and Lebelle’s Los Angeles territories where they were billed as cousins. Ironically, Shibuya was originally from Utah, and would often joke that the closest he ever came to Japan was changing planes en route to Australia. He also had a lot of success as a tag team with Mitsu Arakawa. After retirement, he bought a home in Hayward, CA, and was known for farming Koi fish at a local Buddhist Temple.
(credit: The Wrestling Globe Newsletter)