IN MEMORIAM: Koichi Funayama (1975-2018)

Another loss in the stunt world was felt on Monday when stuntman Koichi Funayama passed away at the age of 42.

Funayama, whose credits partly include Netflix series Marco Polo, 20th Century Fox’s The Wolverine (2013), Fukuda Yuichi’s Gintama (2017), and Miike Takashi’s Blade Of The Immortal (2017), reportedly fell unconcious last week upon suffering from multiple organ failure stemming from fulminant myocarditis, a disease that attacks the heart.

Colleagues and close friends kept tabs with updates on social media, including fellow stuntman and friend Kenji Sato who broke the news to social media friends last week. Almost immediately, Phillip Chang, another friend to Funayama living in Vancouver where Funayama spent time with colleagues and friends, launched a GoFundMe page to fundraise toward medical and incidental expenses.

Funayama sadly passed away on November 19. He is survived by his wife, Megumi, and their three children.

The GoFundMe page will remain up and running until Thursday to continue raising as much as possible toward the aforementioned medical costs and for Funayama’s family.

Lee B. Golden III

filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com | Web

Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!