Akiji Kobayashi , sometimes credited as Shoji Kobayashi , was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was best known for portraying Captain Toshio Muramatsu in Ultraman. He also portrayed Tobee Tachibana throughout the Kamen Rider Series.
Career[]
Kobayashi joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company as a second-year student. In 1952, he made his acting debut in the Shintoho film The Murder Suspect. From then on, he primarily appeared in stage plays and films from various production companies, participating in numerous historical and contemporary works. Kobayashi also made notable contributions as a voice actor, including providing the Japanese dub for Hollywood star John Wayne and narrating historical dramas. His kind nature earned him the admiration of his peers, and he gained the trust of younger actors for his supportive attitude.
In 1966, Kobayashi played Captain Toshio Muramatsu in Ultraman, marking the start of his long-standing collaboration with Tsuburaya Productions. In the 1970s, he became widely known for his role as Tobee Tachibana in Toei's Kamen Rider series.[1]
In 1990, Kobayashi returned to the Ultraman series, voicing Arthur Grant in Ultraman: Towards the Future alongside actors such as Masaki Kyomoto and Shingo Yanagisawa. In 1996, he made a guest appearance alongside the regular cast of Ultraman in Ultraman Zearth, where he portrayed the character of Fisherman. This would be his final project in his career.[2]
Death[]
Akiji Kobayashi died of lung cancer on August 27, 1996 in Yokahama, Japan, ten days before his 66th birthday.[3] He was 65 years old at the time.
Roles[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Ultra Q | Major Amano | Episode 19 "Challenge from the Year 2020"[4] |
| The Birth of Ultraman | Toshio Muramatsu | ||
| Ultraman | |||
| 1968 | Ultraseven | Sato | Episode 47 "Who are You?" |
| Operation: Mystery | Taizo Machida | [5] | |
| 1971 | Return of Ultraman | Captain Takamura | Episode 13 "Terror of the Tsunami Monsters, Tokyo's Big Pinch! Episode 14 "Terror of the Two Giant Monsters, Tokyo in a Giant Tornado" |
| 1972 | Ultraman Ace | Akira Koyama | Episode 6 "Solve the Mystery of the Transforming Terrible-Monster!" |
| Daigoro vs. Goliath | Suzuki | ||
| 1973 | Horror Theater Unbalance | Nishiguchi | Episode 5 "The Woman Calling a Corpse"[6] |
| 1989 | The Men Who Made Ultraman: Moon Ship in a Forest of Stars | Barkeeper | |
| 1990 | Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars | Detective | |
| Ultraman: Towards the Future | Arthur Grant | Japanese dub voice[7][8][9] | |
| 1996 | Revive! Ultraman | Toshio Muramatsu | Voiced stock footage |
| Ultraman Zearth: Parody Chapter | Tobee Tachibana | ||
| Ultraman Zearth | Fisherman |
Other Roles[]
- Kamen Rider - Tobee Tachibana
- Kamen Rider V3 - Tobee Tachibana
- Kamen Rider X - Tobee Tachibana
- Kamen Rider Amazon - Tobee Tachibana
- Kamen Rider Stronger - Tobee Tachibana
- All assembled! 7 Kamen Riders!! - Tobee Tachibana
- Immortal Kamen Rider Special - Tobee Tachibana
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah - Ryuzo Dobashi
- Godzilla vs. Mothra - Ryuzo Dobashi
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion - Senior Infantry Officer
Gallery[]
Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- Kobayashi passed away before the first Zearth movie was released, making it a posthumous appearance and his last appearance in the Ultraman Series. In Ultraman Zearth 2, a photograph of the fisherman he portrayed in the first film is on a drawer in the house of the civilian played by Masanari Nihei, also revealing him to be that character's father.
- Kobayashi dubbed America actor John Wayne in numerous movies.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/zukan/characters/1411
- ↑ https://x.com/roko_sakurai/status/1766233495834382610
- ↑ https://x.com/roko_sakurai/status/1695549830905651501
- ↑ https://x.com/roko_sakurai/status/1787971747737911673
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/post-4924
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-3494
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/ultraman-bd/ultraman_great/outline.html
- ↑ https://www.animatetimes.com/tag/details.php?id=13757
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-3910