Akiji Kobayashi
Acting
Born September 6, 1930, Yodobashi ward, Tokyo, Japan
Akiji Kobayashi (小林昭二, Kobayashi Akiji, September 6, 1930 – August 27, 1996), sometimes credited as Shōji Kobayashi, was a Japanese actor. He attended Nihon University College of Art, but withdrew before completing his degree and joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1949. He made his film debut with Satsujin Yogisha in 1952. He is best known in the West for portraying the role of Captain Toshio Muramatsu in the 1966-1967 television series, Ultraman. From 1983-84, he appeared in the popular television detective series Seibu Keisatsu. His other notable television role was Tōbei Tachibana ("Oya-san") in several series of the Kamen Rider franchise. He was one of Kon Ichikawa's favorite actors, appearing in 12 Ichikawa films. His final film appearance was Yatsuhaka-mura as Head of a Factory directed by Kon Ichikawa in 1996. He was the official dubbing artist of John Wayne and Richard Crenna. Kobayashi died of lung cancer in Yokohama on August 27, 1996, ten days before his 66th birthday.
Filmography
- 1997Master Swordsman Hirate Miki - Duel in Tone
- 1996Gamera 2: Advent of Legion — Senior sergeant
- 1996Revive! Ultraman
- 1996The 8-Tomb Village
- 1996Ultraman Zearth — Fisherman
- 1995Getting Any? — Chief of World Defence Force
- 199447 Ronin
- Ie Naki Ko
- 1993Kamen Rider SD: Strange?! Kumo Otoko — Toubei Tachibana (voice)
- 1993Kogarashi Monjirō Returns
- 1992Godzilla vs. Mothra — Yuzo Tsuchiashi
- 1992Run, Melos! — Dionysus II (voice)
- 1991Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah — Yuzo Tsuchiashi
- 1991Noh Mask Murders
- 1990Like the Clouds, Like the Wind — Konton
- Tales of the Bizarre
- 1990Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars — Detective
- 1989Afternoon When Flowers Fell
- 1989Black Rain — Katayama
- 1989The Men Who Made Ultraman
- 1989Ultraman: Terror on Route 87 — Toshio Muramatsu
- Kamen Norider — Tobei Tachibana
- 1986Bakumatsu seishun graffiti: Ronin Sakamoto Ryoma — Hanazuki
- 1986Death Shadows
- 1986Desperate Pursuit — Inoue
- 1985The Empty Table
- Kojika Monogatari — ペニー
- 1983The Makioka Sisters — Seitaro Jinba
- 1982Karate Cop — Asst Chief Fuji
- 1982Lady on 6th Street: Taste of Honey — Kodera
- 1982Suspicion — Chief of Police, Ishihara
- 1982Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2
- 1982The Longest Tunnel
- 1981Lonely Heart
- 1981The Black Hood
- 1981Yuki — Jinjii (voice)
- 1980Koto: The Ancient City
- 1980Shogun Assassin — Lord Kurogawa
- 1979Akio Jissoji's Ultraman — Captain Toshio Muramatsu
- Attack, Jun
- 1979Immortal Kamen Rider Special — Tobei Tachibana
- Seibu Keisatsu — Minami Choutaro
- The 47 Ronins of Ako — Hara Soemon
- 1979The House of Hanging — Sannosuke
- 1979The Shogun Assassins
- 1979The Tale of Jean Valjean — Jean Valjean (voice)
- 1979Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle — Toshio Muramatsu
- 1978Queen Bee — Detective Kogure
- Fushoku no kōzō — Detective Okawa
- 1977Island of Hell — Takezo
- 1977Lullaby to Kill — Koreya Kusakabe (manager)
- 1977Utamaro's World
- 1976All Together! Seven Kamen Riders!! — Tōbei Tachibana
- 1976The Inugami Family — Kokichi Inugami
- The Kagestar — Inspector Keibu Tonda
- 1976The Kagestar: The Movie — Inspector Tonda
- 1975Hanuman and the Five Kamen Riders — Tobei Tachibana (archive footage)
- 1975Kamen Rider Amazon: The Movie — Tōbei Tachibana
- Kamen Rider Stronger — Tobei Tachibana
- 1975Kamen Rider Stronger: The Movie — Tôbei Tachibana
- 1974Five Riders vs. King Dark — Tobei Tachibana
- Kamen Rider Amazon — Tobei Tachibana
- Kamen Rider X — Tobei Tachibana
- 1973Internal Sleuth
- Kamen Rider V3 — Tobei Tachibana
- 1973Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants — Tobei Tachibana
- 1973Kamen Rider V3: The Movie — Tōbei Tachibana
- 1973The Woman Who Calls for Corpses
- 1972Daigoro vs. Goliath — Hitoshi Suzuki
- 1972Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice
- 1972Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell — Tōbei Tachibana
- 1972Kamen Rider vs. Shocker — Tobei Tachibana
- 1972Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx — Ozunu Kurokuwa
- 1972Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril — Narrator
- 1972Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance — Narrator
- Professional Killers
- 1972The Pirates of Buban
- 1971Go Go Kamen Rider — Tobei Tachibana
- Kamen Rider — Tobei Tachibana
- Kamen Rider — Tobei Tachibana
- 1971Mandala
- 1971Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 5 - The Mystery of the Skull Wife
- 1971Return of Ultraman: Terror of the Waterspout Monsters — Captain Takamura
- 1970This Transient Life
- 1969Prison Break
- 1969The Curse of the Ghost — Naosuke
- Operation: Mystery — Taizo Machida
- Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories
- 1967The Return of the Filthy Seven
- 1967Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature — Capt. Toshio Muramatsu
- 1966The Birth of Ultraman — Toshio Muramatsu
- 1966The Father of Ultra Q
- 1966The Pornographers — Man at the Party
- Ultraman — Captain 'Cap' Toshio Muramatsu
- 1965Kwaidan — (segment "In a Cup of Tea") (uncredited)
- 1965Pleasures of the Flesh — Mari's pimp
- 宇宙少年ソラン — ワイラー
- 1963Fight of the Gamblers
- 1963Intruders — Ichiro Honma
- 1963Youth of the Beast — Tatsuo Nomoto
- 1962Foundry Town — Hei-san
- 1962Harakiri
- 1959The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity — Nonaka Shôi