
Kinya Kitaoji
Early life: He was born in Kyoto, son of jidaigeki film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences Ⅱ in Tokyo. Acting career: Kin'ya made his debut with his father in the 1956 Toei film Oyakodaka in the role of Katsu Kaishū. He is a contemporary of, and was taken to be a rival of, Hiroki Matsukata, who was also the son of a famous actor (Jūshirō Konoe). In 1964, Kin'ya made his first appearance on stage in Cyrano de Bergerac. The 1960s and 1970s saw him in many contemporary roles. He appeared in Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima and Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode as well as Karei naru Ichizoku. The title role in the 1975 film Takehisa Yumeji was his. On television, Kitaōji portrayed Miyamoto Musashi in the Nippon Television show of the same name. A major historical role was Sakamoto Ryōma in the year-long prime-time NHK Taiga drama Ryōma ga Yuku (1968). He landed the title role in the long-running cop show Zenigata Heiji, set in the Edo period. In the 1985 twelve-hour New Year special Fūun Yagyū Bugeichō, he played Yagyū Jūbei, and in the following year's special, he portrayed both Tokugawa Yoshimune and Yagyū Shinrokurō. The role of another shogun fell to him in the following new year as TV Tokyo tapped him to play Tokugawa Iemitsu. Kin'ya returned to NHK for the 1987 Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune as Date Terumune, father of title character Date Masamune. Another role he took had been created by his father. Saotome Mondonosuke was the title character in the series Gozonji! Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko. It ran from 1988 to 1994 on TV Asahi. His father, Ichikawa Utaemon, had appeared in numerous films as Mondonosuke. Kin'ya reprised the part of Miyamoto Musashi in the 1990 New Year's special. Toshirō Mifune had portrayed Musashi in the earlier film, also based on the Eiji Yoshikawa story, that had won an Academy Award. He returned to the New Year's special in 1996, again as the famous swordsman, in Tokugawa Kengōden Sore kara no Musashi. His first portrayal of Ōishi Kuranosuke was in the 1996 Chūshingura. He took up the role again in 2004 for the NHK Saigo no Chūshingura and in 2007, in the New Year special Chūshingura Yōzei-in no Inbō. Other historical roles from the Sengoku period include Azai Nagamasa, Saitō Dōsan, and Yamamoto Kansuke. In addition to historical parts, he appeared in fictional series. His portrayal of Ogami Ittō in the Lone Wolf and Cub ( Kozure 2) Which was a series for Asahi TV in Japan is representative of these appearances. In 2008, Kitaōji revisited the role of Katsu Kaishū in the Taiga drama Atsuhime. He had portrayed Katsu in his 1956 debut. He won the award for best actor at the 10th Hochi Film Award for Fire Festival and Haru no kane. Kitaōji played one of the lead roles in Hideo Nakata's psychological thriller film The Incite Mill. In recent times, Kitaōji voices the Hokkaido-inu character of "Father" in SoftBank Mobile's White Family advertising campaign.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Believe: A Bridge to You as Goro Bando
- 2024 · Alice in Wonderful Kitchen as Gojo Michitaka
- 2023 · Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero as
- 2019 · Castle of Sand as
- 2019 · Whistleblower as Ikuo Yakuyama
- 2019 · Kioku Sousa ~Shinjuku Higashi-sho Jiken Fairu~ as
- 2018 · がん消滅の罠~完全寛解の謎~ as 西條征士郎(さいじょう せいしろう)
- 2017 · Virtual Detective Tabito Higurashi as Wataru Enoki
- 2016 · Monster Strike The Movie: To The Place of Beginnings as Kentaro Ishibashi (voice)
- 2016 · One Piece Film: GOLD as Raise Max (voice)
- 2015 · Seven Detectives as Shuntaro Domoto
- 2015 · I'm Home as Yozo Ieji
- 2014 · Kenkaku Shōbai: Onikuma Izakaya as
- 2014 · Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel as
- 2013 · 淋しい狩人 as
- 2013 · Hanzawa Naoki as Ken Nakanowatari
- 2013 · Legal High SP as Teshigawara Isao
- 2012 · Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon as Yoshito Tendo(天堂 義人)
- 2012 · Asura as Monk
- 2012 · Breathless Summer as 夏目周作
- 2012 · Blackboard as Akinori Shioda
- 2012 · Blackboard as Shioda Akinori
- 2012 · Man of Destiny as Keisaku Sahashi
- 2011 · The Last Revenge as Tesshu Yamaoka
- 2011 · Princess Go as
- 2010 · Sakurada Gate Incident as
- 2010 · The Incite Mill as Yoshi Ando
- 2010 · Eternal First Love as Yuichi Makibara
- 2010 · Absolute Zero as Hideo Nagashima
- 2008 · Atsuhime as
- 2007 · The Family as Daisuke Manpyo
- 2004 · Roving Police Chief Kazama Shohei 2 - Lake Tazawa Murder Case as Shohei Kazama
- 2002 · Lone Wolf and Cub as Ogami Ittô
- 2001 · Hojo Tokimune as Sha Kokumei
- 1997 · The Peking Man as Kin'ya Kitaôji
- 1996 · SMAP×SMAP as Skit Guest
- 1995 · Another 47 Ronins: Genroku Taiheiki as
- 1993 · Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death as
- 1993 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 8 as Sawatari Mondonosuke
- 1993 · Date Masamune: The One-Eyed Dragon as
- 1992 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 7 as Sawatari Shusui
- 1992 · Tokugawa Ieyasu: The Conqueror of Japan as
- 1991 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 6 as Sawatari Shusui
- 1991 · Dohten as
- 1990 · Detective Heiji as Heiji Zenigata
- 1990 · Miyamoto Musashi as Miyamoto Musashi
- 1989 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 3 as Sawatari Shusui
- 1988 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 2 as Mondonosuke Saotome
- 1987 · Masamune Shogun as 伊達輝宗
- 1985 · The Second Is a Christian as Eiji
- 1984 · The Story of a Man Among Men as
- 1984 · Zero as Jiro Horikoshi
- 1982 · Shadow Conspirator as
- 1982 · Future War 198X as Wataru Mikumo (voice)
- 1982 · 南十字星 as
- 1981 · Abandoned as
- 1980 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga as
- 1978 · Glowing Autumn as
- 1978 · Dynamite Don-Don as Ginji Tachibana
- 1978 · Winter's Flower as Michio Sakata
- 1977 · Mount Hakkoda as Captain Kanda
- 1977 · The Alaska Story as Frank Yasuda
- 1975 · Takehisa Yumeji monogatari: koi suru as Yumeji Takehisa
- 1975 · Gambling Den Heist as Takeshi Kiyomoto
- 1975 · Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack as
- 1974 · Father of the Kamikaze as
- 1974 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode as Tamotsu Matsumura
- 1973 · Men and War III: The Final Chapter as Shunsuke Godai
- 1973 · Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima as Shoji Yamanaka
- 1971 · A Woman Called En as
- 1970 · Will to Conquer as
- 1969 · Admiral Borneo: Betting at the Equator as Takeo
- 1968 · Ryoma ga Yuku as Sakamoto Ryoma
- 1965 · Love on the Rainbow as Tatsuya Kitakami
- 1963 · The Navy as Shinji
- 1963 · Tokaido Fullhouse as Okeya-no-oni
- 1962 · A Revengeful Raid as
- 1961 · Young Lord and Second Son as
- 1961 · Whistling Drifter as Tsukinowa Gentaro
- 1961 · The Orphan Brother as
- 1961 · Fine Man as
- Future · 白虎隊~敗れざる者たち as
- 2024 · Toyama Shōgawa kai satsujin jiken as
- 2023 · THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY as Saitō Dōsan
- 2022 · さすらい署長風間昭平スペシャル 塩屋岬いわき殺人事件 as
- 2021 · In His Chart as Itagaki Genzo [Director]
- 2020 · The Confidence Man JP – Episode of the Princess – as Raymond Fuu
- 2020 · Alive: Dr. Kokoro, The Medical Oncologist as Kyotaro Onda
- 2016 · Case 17 as Shuichi Itami
- 2016 · Sayonara Debussy - Pianist Tantei Misaki Yosuke as 香月玄太郎
- 2016 · Fragile as Kaoru Nakaguma
- 2014 · Sanbiki no Ossan as 清田清一
- 2014 · Sakura Housara as
- 2012 · I Don't Want to Kidnap Anyone Anymore as Hanazono Shugoro
- 2010 · Chushingura〜Sono Otoko, Oishi Kuranosuke as
- 2009 · Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami as
- 2009 · Triangle as Kuroki Shinzo
- 2008 · 刑事シュート しゅうと&ムコの事件日誌 as
- 2008 · Sushi King Goes to New York as Gengoro
- 2008 · Phantom Assassin as Koyama Genjuro
- 2007 · Kuwayama Jubei travels to eight provinces as Kuwayama Jubei
- 2005 · Magistrate Ooka Echizen as
- 2005 · The Story of Dominating Countries as
- 2004 · 忠臣蔵 as
- 2003 · さすらい署長 風間昭平 as
- 2002 · 生存 愛する娘のために as
- 1998 · Secret Magistrate Asahina as Asahina Kawachinokami Masakiyo
- 1996 · Further Tales of Musashi as Miyamoto Musashi
- 1995 · Assassin's Target: Iemitsu as
- 1994 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 9 as Saotome Mondonosuke
- 1994 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 9 as
- 1993 · Bored Hatamoto: The Kaga Conspiracy as
- 1993 · 事件 (テレビ朝日のテレビドラマ) as
- 1993 · Yakuza Ladies Revisited 2 as
- 1992 · The Diary of Chuji's Travels as Chuji
- 1991 · 遊の人‐天下の御意見番 大久保彦左衛門‐ as
- 1990 · The Notorious Bored Samurai 5 as Sawatari Shusui
- 1989 · Sensei as Chairman of the town
- 1989 · Sanada Yukimura as
- 1988 · The Notorious Bored Samurai as Mondosuke
- 1987 · Crisis at Edo Castle - Angry Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu as
- 1986 · Tokugawa Chronicles: Ambition of the 3 Branches as Genroku Kano (Tokugawa Yoshimune)
- 1985 · Spring Bell as Rokuheita Narumi
- 1985 · Yume-Chiyo as
- 1985 · Fire Festival as Tatsuo
- 1984 · Kukai as Kukai
- 1982 · Lake of Illusions as Nobunaga Oda
- 1982 · The Highest Honour as Major Tachibana
- 1978 · Monument to Holy Service as
- 1978 · Shag as
- 1976 · The Corporation as
- 1976 · Love and Separation in Sri Lanka as
- 1975 · Shimane Prison Riot as Yuji Kawamura
- 1974 · Akumyo: Notorious Dragon as
- 1973 · The Blossom and the Sword as Captain Sakagami
- 1973 · Rise, Fair Sun as
- 1970 · Mominoki wa Nokotta as Sakai Tadakiyo
- 1969 · Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor as Soji Okita
- 1969 · 津軽絶唱 as
- 1968 · One Day at Summer's End as Shigeo Ugari
- 1968 · The Day the Sun Rose as
- 1968 · Cry of the Mountain as
- 1967 · River of Forever as
- 1965 · Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu as 松平三郎元信(後の徳川家康)
- 1964 · Wolves, Pigs & Men as Sabu, the third brother
- 1963 · 53 Stages of Action as
- 1962 · Keepers of Order as
- 1962 · Yoka chigo zakura Make no wakamusha as
- 1962 · Genkuro Yoshitsune as
- 1962 · Knightly Advice as
- 1961 · Law in Ghost Island as Yusaku
- 1961 · Lord Mito: Struggle of Suke and Kaku as
- 1961 · Traveling of Two Young Men as Gentaro
- 1960 · Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return as
- 1959 · Bloody Battle at Dawn as
- 1959 · Bored Hatamoto: The Daimonji Conspiracy as
- 1959 · The Acrobats of Death as
- 1958 · Bored Hatamoto: Idle Vassal Tribute as
- 1958 · Kingdom of Youth as Yamanaka Shikanoske
- 1957 · The Mansion of Intrigue as Kyoya Kirishima
- 1957 · Shadow Over Fuji as
- 1956 · Avenging Father as Minamoto no Yoriie
- 1956 · Virtue in Spades as