What madcap party trick will Hama-chan show us in the latest episode of “Tsuribaka Nisshi”? That was one of the things fans of this comedy film franchise always looked forward to finding out.

Veteran actor Toshiyuki Nishida, best known for playing the lovable office worker obsessed with fishing in the “Tsuribaka Nisshi” (Free and Easy) film series, died on Oct. 17. He was 76.