Sandayu Dokumamushi

Sandayu Dokumamushi
Born	March 31, 1936 (age 89) Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Actor, radio personality
Years Active	1948 - present
Spouse	Unknown (currently married)
Website	Official website
External Links

Sandayu Dokumamushi , born Iyoshi Ishii ​, is a Japanese actor. He portrayed Daisuke Arashi in Ultraman and Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven.

He has been a radio personality on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) since October 6, 1969. His radio program is famous for vulgar language and is popular with an older audience. He is nicknamed Mamu-chan , Viper/Mamushi , and Mr. Viper/Mamushi-san .

Career

Dokumamushi was born in the Sumiyoshi Ward of Osaka. From 1945 to 1950, he grew up in Asakusa Ryuzen, Tokyo. In 1948, while still in junior high school, he auditioned for a stage production with friends and was selected, making his debut as a child actor. After joining a children's theater troupe, he frequently appeared on NHK radio.

After graduating from high school, Dokumamushi left the children's theater troupe and began performing in television dramas in the early 1950s. He appeared in youth-themed films produced by Toho and Daiei. By the mid-1960s, he was active as an actor under his real name, Iyoshi Ishii.

In 1966, Dokumamushi gained fame for his role as Daisuke Arashi in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman. The following year, he continued his involvement with the company by portraying Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven.

In 1971, Dokumamushi became the president of the Takashima Danji-affiliated agency, Danji Production, which was later renamed Mamushi Production. In 1973, he established a corporation that included a number of Rakugo performers affiliated with the Tachikawa School. During the 1990s, with the resurgence of the Ultraman series' popularity, he frequently participated in Ultraman-related activities and interviews, particularly returning to his role as Shigeru Furuhashi in the Heisei Ultraseven series.

Since April 21, 2021, Dokumamushi has been active as a YouTuber.

Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1966	The Birth of Ultraman	Daisuke Arashi
	Ultraman
1967	Ultraseven	Shigeru Furuhashi
1989	The Men Who Made Ultraman: Moon Ship in a Forest of Stars	Murakawa
1990	Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars	Detective
1994	Ultraseven - Operation: Solar Energy	Shigeru Furuhashi
	Ultraseven - Planet of the Earthlings
1996	Revive! Ultraman	Daisuke Arashi	Voiced stock footage
	Ultraman Zearth	Reporter Ryuzaburo Arashi
1997	Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow
1998	Ultraseven 30th Anniversary Memorial Trilogy	Shigeru Furuhashi
1999	Ultraseven: The Final Chapters
2001	Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact	Reporter
2003	The Ultra Q Club		Voice
2005	Ultraman Kaiju Legend: The 40 Year Old Truth	Daisuke Arashi
2006	Ultraman Max	Security Guard	Episode 33 "Welcome! To the Earth: Part 1: The Science of the Planet Baltan" Role listed as "Old Man" in credits

Gallery

Dokumamushi as Daisuke Arashi in Ultraman

Dokumamushi as Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven

Dokumamushi as Murakawa in The Men Who Made Ultraman: Moon Ship in a Forest of Stars

Dokumamushi as a Detective in Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars

Dokumamushi as Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven - Planet of the Earthlings

Dokumamushi as Ryuzaburo Arashi in Ultraman Zearth

Dokumamushi as Ryuzaburo Arashi in Ultraman Zearth 2: Superhuman Big Battle - Light and Shadow

Dokumamushi as Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven 30th Anniversary Memorial Trilogy

Dokumamushi as Shigeru Furuhashi in Ultraseven: The Final Chapters

Dokumamushi as a Reporter in Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact

Dokumamushi as Daisuke Arashi in Ultraman Kaiju Legend: The 40 Year Old Truth

Dokumamushi as a Security Guard in Ultraman Max

Miscellaneous

Hishimi and other actors attending Ultraseven's 28th anniversary party (1996)

Dokumamushi and the Ultraman cast in 2005

A group photo of the Ultraseven cast, taken in 2011

Dokumamushi, Susumu Kurobe and Masanari Nihei in 2016

Dokumamushi and the Ultraman cast in Ultraman Festival 2016

Dokumamushi and Ultraseven cast participate in Ultraseven 55th: Grand Finale at TSUBURAYA CONVENTION 2023.

Trivia

• When Dokumamushi changed his stage name to "Sandayu Dokumamushi," he stated in an interview that the decision was influenced by his work on the Ultraman series. He noted that the suggestion for the name "Dokumamushi" came from his friend, the rakugo performer Tatekawa Danshi. Despite being well-known for his roles in monster-themed shows, Danshi recommended the name because he found Dokumamushi's personality off-screen to be equally interesting. Dokumamushi mentioned that although Danshi proposed the name, it was ultimately a decision that suited his own persona as well.
• Dokumamushi has stated that, for his iconic roles in both Ultraman and Ultraseven, he initially hoped to distinguish the characters through different portrayals. He proposed to the director that using props such as glasses, facial hair, or additional marks on his face could highlight the differences between the characters, since the two series were produced approximately six months apart. He believed this approach would be more appropriate if Arashi and Furuhashi were presented as entirely separate individuals. However, the director and production team decided not to focus on these details and chose to keep the characters as originally designed. Consequently, Dokumamushi continued with the original portrayal, and he was surprised to find that audiences perceived him as different actors playing the roles in the two series.
• In December 2005, Dokumamushi was hospitalized due to intestinal obstruction. As a result, he was only able to make a minor appearance in Ultraman Max.
• Dokumamushi appeared as a guest in the 2004 special Ultra Heroine Legend: From Anne to Seven, where he shared memories from his time acting in Ultraseven.