[1] In addition to appearing in traditional jidaigeki roles, notably as one of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, Katō became a popular everyman in contemporary shōshimin-eiga movies.
Toho leveraged Katō's cherubic appeal, featuring him heavily in promotional materials, and his celebrity grew beyond the typical status of a supporting player.
His 1961 book about his wartime experiences, Minami no shima ni yuki ga furu (Snow in the South Seas), was adapted by Toho as a showcase for Katō, who was top-billed, paired with major studio comic actor Junzaburō Ban (who received the only other solo screen credit), and supported with guest appearances by A-list Toho stars Hisaya Morishige, Tatsuya Mihashi, Keiju Kobayashi, and Frankie Sakai.
[7] On June 7, 1963, Katō was the subject of the Asahi Shimbun Interview, a distinction reserved for notable members of the arts, sports, political, and business communities.
[8] In 2008, Katō was one of the actors commemorated in the Seven Supporting Characters film festival held at the now-defunct[9] Cinema Artone in Tokyo's Shimokitazawa entertainment district.