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.
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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.
