Film critic, movie director, and talento Haruo Mizuno died of liver failure on Tuesday at a Tokyo hospital. He was 76.

Mizuno was born in Okayama but spent much of his childhood living in Manchuria. He moved back to Japan and graduated from Keio University, then became part of 20th Century Fox. He later transferred to Nihon Unite Eiga, where he served as a manager of publicity. After going independent in 1972, he continued to deal with the importation and distribution of foreign films.

Mizuno also served as a movie critic on television, appearing on NTV's "Kinyo Road Show" (formerly "Suiyo Road Show") from 1972 to 1997. As a director, writer, and actor, he was well-known for the "Siberian Express" film series, which has an anime adaptation in the works.