Harry Fujiwara, best known for his work in the 1980s and 1990s as heel manager Mr. Fuji, passed away Sunday at the age of 82.
WWE confirmed the news on its website, saying his career "will be remembered by different generations for different reasons" as one of the most "entertaining performers in the history of WWE."
A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Fuji retired to Tennessee after more than 30 years as a wrestler and manager. Often billed as being from Japan, Mr. Fuji was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
A number of former and current WWE superstars shared their memories of Fuji on social media immediately after news broke of his passing, including Natalya, whose father Jim Neidhart, was briefly managed by Fuji in 1985.
Saddened to hear of Mr. Fuji's passing. He brought so many entertaining moments to the world of pro-wrestling. https://t.co/rJfsUZL4EC
- Nattie (@NatbyNature) August 28, 2016
An unforgettable character in front of the camera and an even better one behind it. Rest in Peace, Mr. Fuji. pic.twitter.com/NkpQE8pyAU
- Triple H (@TripleH) August 28, 2016
RIP #MrFuji. @WWE HOFer...amazing, bump machine, funny man, and one of the great "ribbers" of all time.
- Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) August 28, 2016
As a wrestler, Fuji was a five-time WWE tag team champion between 1972 and 1982, teaming three times with Professor Tanaka and twice more with Mr. Saito. It was as a manager, however, that Fuji enjoyed his highest level of fame during the WWE's national expansion in the mid-1980s.
With a signature move of throwing salt packets to the eyes of opponents, Fuji guided some of the WWE's top heels of the era including The Magnificent Muraco, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, The Powers of Pain and Demolition.
But his managerial career would gain new life in 1992, when he ditched his traditional tuxedo look in favor of a Japanese kimono to begin a memorable four-year run beside two-time WWE world champion Yokozuna.
Fuji's greatest addition to the WWE's pop culture lexicon may have come in 1985, when he teamed with Muraco to film a series of vignettes named "Fuji Vice," designed to mock the popular television drama series "Miami Vice." The segments were a regular part of then WWF's weekly "Tuesday Night Titans" variety show, which featured interviews, skits and replays of previously taped matches.
