was a Japanese actor and voice actor from Kitakyushu, affiliated with the self-founded Ken Production.

He was best known for his roles in Sally the Witch (1966) (as Sally's Papa), Fist of the North Star (as Raoh and Kaioh), Dr. Slump Arale-chan (as Senbei Norimaki), the Dragon Ball series (as Shenlong, Commander Red, Reacoom and the Tenkaichi Budōkai announcer), Fullmetal Alchemist (as Alex Louis Armstrong) and Hajime no Ippo (as Coach Kamogawa). He was also known for dubbing over the voices of actors Carl Weathers, Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, Sammy Davis Jr., Victor Mature and Robert Shaw in the Japanese-language editions of their films.

He received a lifetime achievement award at the third Seiyu Awards.

Personal life

He was married to fellow voice actress Michiko Nomura until his death.

Death

He died from peritoneal cancer at 3:01 PM in JST on June 13, 2013.

Voice roles

Television animation

;1963

  • Wolf Boy Ken (One-Eyed Jack)

;1965

  • ' (Aian)
  • Space Ace (Ibo)

;1966

  • Yusei Kamen (Sutekkyi)
  • Mahōtsukai Sally (Maou)

;1997

  • Lupin III: Island of Assassins (Gold)
  • Berserk (Zodd the Immortal)

Video games

;1994

  • Dragon Ball Z: Buyuu Retsuden (Mega Drive) – Reacoom, Shenlong

;1995

  • Kuusou Kagaku Sekai: Gulliver Boy – Kong
  • Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 – Shenlong
  • Linda Cube – Captain Ben
  • Dragon Ball Z: Shin Butōden (Sega Saturn) – Shenlong
  • Hokuto no Ken (Sega Saturn, PlayStation) – Zen-oh

;1996

  • Dragon Ball Z: Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu (PlayStation, Sega Saturn) – Reacoom, Shenlong

;1997

  • Macross Digital Mission VF-X – Captain
  • Next King: Koi no Sennen Oukoku – King Henry King
  • Linda Cube Again – Captain Ben
  • Tales of Destiny – Hugo Jirukurisuto, Shine Rembrandt

;1998

  • Kasei Monogatari – Kiwi 65 World

;1999

  • Yuukyuu no Eden – Orchid Grace
  • Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage – Balzac, Zodd
  • Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! – Ripto
  • Space Channel 5 – Chief Blank
  • The Getaway (1982 TV Asahi edition) – Carter 'Doc' McCoy
  • Junior Bonner (1976 TV Asahi edition) – Junior 'J.R.' Bonner<!--1972-->
  • Papillon (1977 TV Asahi edition) – Henri 'Papillon' Charrière<!--1973-->
  • The Towering Inferno (1989 TBS edition) – Michael O'Hallorhan<!--1974-->
  • The Hunter (1987 TV Asahi edition) – Ralph 'Papa' Thorson
  • Tom Horn – Tom Horn<!--1980-->
  • Bob Hoskins
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Detective Eddie Valiant<!--1988-->
  • Hook – Smee<!--1991-->
  • Mrs Henderson Presents – Vivian Van Damm<!--2005-->
  • Son of the Mask – Odin<!--2005-->
  • Unleashed (2007 TV Tokyo edition) – Bart<!--2005-->
  • Carl Weathers
  • Rocky (1983 TBS edition) – Apollo Creed<!--1976-->
  • Rocky II (1984 TBS edition) – Apollo Creed<!--1979-->
  • Rocky III (1987 TBS edition) – Apollo Creed<!--1982-->
  • Rocky IV (1989 TBS and 1995 TV Asahi editions) – Apollo Creed<!--1985-->
  • Predator (1989 Fuji TV edition) – George Dillon<!--1987-->
  • Action Jackson (1991 Fuji TV edition) – Jericho "Action" Johnson
  • John Rhys-Davies
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Gimli
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Gimli
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Gimli
  • Dragon Storm – King Fastrad
  • Jack Nicholson
  • The Witches of Eastwick (1990 TBS edition) – Daryl Van Horne
  • Batman (1995 TV Asahi edition) – Jack Napier/Joker
  • The Bucket List (2010 TV Asahi edition) – Edward Cole
  • John Saxon
  • Battle Beyond the Stars (1983 TV Asahi edition) – Sador
  • Black Christmas (TV Asahi edition) – Lt. Kenneth Fuller
  • The Electric Horseman (1985 TV Asahi edition) – Hunt Sears
  • Enter the Dragon (1979 TV Asahi edition) – Roper
  • Danny Glover
  • ER – Charlie Pratt
  • Grand Canyon – Simon
  • Flight of the Intruder (1995 Fuji TV edition) – Commander Frank "Dooke" Camparelli
  • Witness (1987 Fuji TV edition) – Lieutenant James McFee
  • Predator 2 (DVD edition) – Lieutenant Mike Harrigan
  • Burt Reynolds
  • Shamus (1978 TBS edition) – Shamus McCoy
  • Gator (1980 TBS edition) – Gator McClusky
  • City Heat (1988 Fuji TV edition) – Mike Murphy
  • Charles S. Dutton
  • Alien 3 (Theatrical and 1996 Fuji TV edition) – Leonard Dillon
  • Black Dog (2002 NTV edition) – FBI Agent Allen Ford
  • Mimic (2006 TV Tokyo edition) – Leonard
  • Paul Winfield
  • The Serpent and the Rainbow (1991 Fuji TV edition) – Lucien Celine
  • Cliffhanger (1995 Fuji TV edition) – Walter Wright
  • The Terminator (2003 TV Tokyo edition) – Ed Traxler
  • Michael Ironside
  • Scanners (1987 NTV edition) – Darryl Revok
  • Total Recall (1992 VHS edition) – Richter
  • Highlander II: The Quickening (1996 NTV edition) – General Katana
  • Ernie Hudson
  • The Substitute (1998 Fuji TV edition) – Principal Claude Rolle
  • The Watcher (2002 TV Tokyo edition) – FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Ibby
  • Dragonball Evolution – Sifu Norris
  • Billy Dee Williams
  • The Take (1986 TV Asahi edition) – Lt. Terrence Sneed
  • The Empire Strikes Back (1986 NTV edition) – Lando Calrissian
  • Nighthawks (1987 TV Asahi edition) – Matthew Fox
  • Return of the Jedi (1988 NTV edition) – Lando Calrissian
  • Oceans of Fire (1989 TV Asahi edition) – Jim McKinley
  • Laurence Fishburne
  • The Matrix (2002 Fuji TV edition) – Morpheus
  • The Matrix Reloaded (2006 Fuji TV edition) – Morpheus
  • The Matrix Revolutions (2007 Fuji TV edition) – Morpheus
  • Omar Sharif
  • Lawrence of Arabia (1981 TV Asahi edition) – Sherif Ali
  • Marco the Magnificent (1975 TV Asahi edition) – Sheik Alla Hou, 'The Desert Wind'
  • More Than a Miracle – Prince Rodrigo Fernandez
  • 10,000 BC (2011 TV Asahi edition) – Narrator
  • Robert Shaw
  • From Russia with Love (1975 and 1976 TBS editions) – Donald "Red" Grant
  • Jaws (DVD and 1991 TBS editions) – Quint
  • The Sting – Johnny "Kelly" Hooker
  • Joe Don Baker
  • The Living Daylights (1993 TBS edition) – Brad Whitaker
  • Congo (1999 Fuji TV edition) – R.B. Travis
  • Tomorrow Never Dies (2001 Fuji TV edition) – Jack Wade
  • Ben-Hur (2000 TV Tokyo edition) – Sheik Ilderim (Hugh Griffith)
  • Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey – Chuck De Nomolos (Joss Ackland)
  • Cutthroat Island (1998 Fuji TV edition) – Douglas "Dawg" Brown (Frank Langella)
  • Das Boot (1983 Fuji TV edition) – Kapitänleutnant (Jürgen Prochnow)
  • Dawn of the Dead – Peter Washington (Ken Foree)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (1990 TBS edition) – James Bond (Sean Connery)
  • Die Hard – Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson))
  • Die Hard (1992 Fuji TV edition) – Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
  • Exit Wounds (2004 NTV edition) – Chief Hinges (Bill Duke)
  • First Blood (1999 NTV edition) – Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy)
  • Get Smart (2011 TV Asahi edition) – The President (James Caan)
  • The Golden Compass – John Faa (Jim Carter)
  • Hard to Kill (1994 TV Asahi edition) – Lieutenant Kevin O'Malley (Frederick Coffin)
  • The Hard Way – The Party Crasher (Stephen Lang)
  • Hot Shots! Part Deux – Saddam Hussein (Jerry Haleva)
  • Jingle All the Way – Myron Larabee (Sinbad)
  • Kenan & Kel – Roger Rockmore (Ken Foree)
  • Little Shop of Horrors – Audrey II (Levi Stubbs))
  • Live and Let Die (1981 and 1988 TBS editions) – Doctor Kananga / Mister Big (Yaphet Kotto)
  • Love, Honour and Obey – Ray Kreed (Ray Winstone)
  • Money Train (2000 Fuji TV edition) – Captain Donald Patterson (Robert Blake)
  • Moonraker (1984 TBS edition) – Sir Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale)
  • Never Say Never Again (1985 Fuji TV edition) – Maximillian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer)
  • Nothing but Trouble – Judge Alvin 'J.P' Valkenheiser / Bobo (Dan Aykroyd)
  • Ocean's Twelve (2007 NTV edition) – Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould)
  • Ra.One – Khalnayak (Sanjay Dutt))
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1985 Nippon TV edition) – Major Arnold Toht (Ronald Lacey)
  • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1996 Fuji TV edition) – Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman)
  • Sledge Hammer! – Captain Trunk (Harrison Page)
  • Snakes on a Plane – Agent Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson)
  • Star Trek: The Original Series – Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) (second voice)
  • Thirteen Days (2003 TV Asahi edition) – Curtis LeMay (Kevin Conway)
  • Tremors – Earl Basset (Fred Ward)
  • Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero – Russel Edlund (Harrison Page)

Animated

  • Dom DeLuise
  • An American Tail (Tiger)
  • An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (Tiger)
  • Fievel's American Tails (Tiger)
  • An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (Tiger)
  • An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (Tiger)
  • Adventure Time (Narrator)
  • The Adventures of Tintin (Captain Haddock)
  • All Dogs Go to Heaven (Carface)
  • Batman: The Animated Series (The Sewer King)
  • Tarzan (Kerchak)
  • Tarzan II (Kerchak)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The Shredder)
  • Thomas and Friends (Gordon the Big Engine (Seasons 1-8 only))
  • Thomas and the Magic Railroad (Gordon the Big Engine)
  • X-Men: The Animated Series (Apocalypse)

Commercials

  • Frosted Flakes (Corn Frosty (コーンフロスティ Kōn Furosuti)) – Tony the Tiger

References