Segata Sanshiro was created for a series of Japanese television commercials promoting the Sega Saturn in the late 1990s. Played by actor Hiroshi Fujioka, he was a stern judo master who appeared wherever people were not playing the console, often throwing them or scolding them into gaming. The adverts became a cultural phenomenon in Japan and, years later, spread online through retro gaming fans sharing clips and memes. He remains a symbol of Sega's boldest marketing era and a shorthand for over-the-top dedication to gaming.