Shoji Nakayama was a Japanese actor. His real name is spelt "中山 昭治", which is pronounced the name as his stage name. He portrayed Kaoru Kiriyama in Ultraseven.
Career[]
During World War II, Nakayama was appointed as the first young hydrographic surveyor for the Yokosuka Naval Marines. After the war, he transitioned to a career in ballet, joining several dance companies. In 1952, he was discovered by director Josef von Sternberg and cast in the Japanese-American co-production Anatahan. Following this, Nakayama joined Shintoho, marking the start of his acting career under the Shintoho studio.
In the 1950s, Nakayama took on prominent roles across various genres, from contemporary dramas produced by Shintoho to martial arts films. After moving to Toei, he further diversified his career by venturing into television dramas. In 1967, he played Captain Kaoru Kiriyama in Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultraseven.
By the 1970s, Nakayama began taking on secondary roles, appearing in a variety of film and television productions. Later in life, he became an entertainment instructor and served as a managing director at Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura, where he focused on mentoring the next generation while stepping away from the television industry. Despite this, he maintained close relationships with his Ultraseven co-stars, who often visited him at Nikko Edomura.
In 1998, Nakayama contributed to a Kodansha CD-ROM book project titled Anne∞. According to Yuriko Hishimi, producer Shigemitsu Taguchi specifically invited Nakayama to record a video message for Anne. This video, included on the accompanying CD-ROM, became his final public work before his passing.[1][2]
Death[]
He died on December 1, 1998 at the age 70 due to pneumonia. According to an interview with Kenichi Hoyama in 2002, Shoji accepted the offer to reprise his role as Kiriyama in Ultraeven 1999 The Final Chapters Hexalogy, especially in the sixth episode. His death happened around the same time of the filming, forcing the filming crew to scrap Kiriyama's role in the series and had the character being assassinated off-screen.
At the memorial service, the event concluded with a group performance of the "Ultra Keibi-tai no Uta," conducted by Toru Fuyuki.[3]
Roles[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Ultraman | Dr. Ninomiya | Episode 31 "Who Goes There?" |
| Ultraseven | Kaoru Kiriyama | ||
| 1980 | Ultraman 80 | Director of Nishiyama Hospital | Episode 33 "The Monster Made by a Boy" |
Gallery[]
Miscellaneous[]
![A group photo of the Ultraseven cast, taken in 1987[4]](/wiki/File:UG_20th.jpg "UG 20th.jpg (243 KB)")
References[]