Acting
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.
Filmography
BORDERLESS -72 Hours
Series · 2026
Toyama Shōgawa kai satsujin jiken
Film · 2024
Alice in Wonderful Kitchen
Series · 2024
Believe: A Bridge to You
Series · 2024
THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY
Film · 2023
Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero
Series · 2023
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
Film · 2022
In His Chart
Series · 2021
The Confidence Man JP – Episode of the Princess –
Film · 2020
三屋清左衛門残日録 新たなしあわせ
Film · 2020
Alive: Dr. Kokoro, The Medical Oncologist
Series · 2020
Whistleblower
Film · 2019
Castle of Sand
Film · 2019
Kioku Sousa ~Shinjuku Higashi-sho Jiken Fairu~
Series · 2019
がん消滅の罠～完全寛解の謎～
Film · 2018
三屋清左衛門残日録 三十年ぶりの再会
Film · 2018
三屋清左衛門残日録 完結篇
Film · 2017
Virtual Detective Tabito Higurashi
Series · 2017
One Piece Film: GOLD
Film · 2016
Sayonara Debussy - Pianist Tantei Misaki Yosuke
Film · 2016
Case 17
Film · 2016
Monster Strike The Movie: To The Place of Beginnings
Film · 2016
三屋清左衛門残日録
Film · 2016
Fragile
Series · 2016
Seizaemon Remaining Diary
Series · 2016
Seven Detectives
Series · 2015
I'm Home
Series · 2015
Sakura Housara
Film · 2014
Seicho Matsumoto's Black Gospel
Film · 2014
Kenkaku Shōbai: Onikuma Izakaya
Film · 2014
Sanbiki no Ossan
Series · 2014
淋しい狩人
Film · 2013
Legal High SP
Film · 2013
Hanzawa Naoki
Series · 2013
Asura
Film · 2012
I Don't Want to Kidnap Anyone Anymore
Film · 2012
Blackboard
Series · 2012
Breathless Summer
Series · 2012
Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon
Series · 2012
Blackboard
Series · 2012
Man of Destiny
Series · 2012
The Last Revenge
Film · 2011
Princess Go
Series · 2011
The Incite Mill
Film · 2010
Eternal First Love
Film · 2010
Chushingura〜Sono Otoko, Oishi Kuranosuke
Film · 2010
Sakurada Gate Incident
Film · 2010
Absolute Zero
Series · 2010
Genjuro's Deadly Sword: The Return of Shinigami
Film · 2009
Triangle
Series · 2009
Sushi King Goes to New York
Film · 2008
刑事シュート しゅうと&ムコの事件日誌
Series · 2008
Phantom Assassin
Series · 2008
Atsuhime
Series · 2008
The Family
Series · 2007
Kuwayama Jubei travels to eight provinces
Series · 2007
The Story of Dominating Countries
Series · 2005
Magistrate Ooka Echizen
Series · 2005
Roving Police Chief Kazama Shohei 2 - Lake Tazawa Murder Case
Film · 2004
忠臣蔵
Series · 2004
さすらい署長 風間昭平
Series · 2003
生存 愛する娘のために
Series · 2002
Lone Wolf and Cub
Series · 2002
Hojo Tokimune
Series · 2001
Warlord of the Underworld
Film · 1998
Secret Magistrate Asahina
Series · 1998
The Peking Man
Film · 1997
SMAP×SMAP
Series · 1996
Further Tales of Musashi
Series · 1996
Assassin's Target: Iemitsu
Film · 1995
Another 47 Ronins: Genroku Taiheiki
Film · 1995
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
Film · 1994
The Notorious Bored Samurai 9
Film · 1994
Bored Hatamoto: The Kaga Conspiracy
Film · 1993
The Notorious Bored Samurai 8
Film · 1993
Yakuza Ladies Revisited 2
Film · 1993
Date Masamune: The One-Eyed Dragon
Film · 1993
Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death
Film · 1993
Rainbow Bridge
Film · 1993
事件 (テレビ朝日のテレビドラマ)
Series · 1993
Tokugawa Ieyasu: The Conqueror of Japan
Film · 1992
The Notorious Bored Samurai 7
Film · 1992
The Diary of Chuji's Travels
Series · 1992
Dohten
Film · 1991
The Notorious Bored Samurai 6
Film · 1991
遊の人‐天下の御意見番 大久保彦左衛門‐
Film · 1991
The Notorious Bored Samurai 5
Film · 1990
Detective Heiji
Film · 1990
The Mysterious Lightning Beauty
Film · 1990
Miyamoto Musashi
Series · 1990
The Notorious Bored Samurai 3
Film · 1989
Sensei
Film · 1989
The Phantom Beauty of Kobe Rokko
Film · 1989
Sanada Yukimura
Series · 1989
The Notorious Bored Samurai 2
Film · 1988
The Notorious Bored Samurai
Film · 1988
The Beauty of the Sundial Mansion
Film · 1988
The Beauty in the Black Mask
Film · 1987
The Beauty in the Red Riding Outfit
Film · 1987
Masamune Shogun
Series · 1987
Crisis at Edo Castle - Angry Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu
Series · 1987
The Beauty with the Enchanting Melody
Film · 1986
Tokugawa Chronicles: Ambition of the 3 Branches
Series · 1986
Spring Bell
Film · 1985
Fire Festival
Film · 1985
The Second Is a Christian
Film · 1985
Yume-Chiyo
Film · 1985
Zero
Film · 1984
Kukai
Film · 1984
The Story of a Man Among Men
Film · 1984
Future War 198X
Film · 1982
Lake of Illusions
Film · 1982
The Highest Honour
Film · 1982
Shadow Conspirator
Film · 1982
南十字星
Film · 1982
Abandoned
Film · 1981
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga
Film · 1980
Winter's Flower
Film · 1978
Monument to Holy Service
Film · 1978
Shag
Film · 1978
Glowing Autumn
Film · 1978
Dynamite Don-Don
Film · 1978
Mount Hakkoda
Film · 1977
The Alaska Story
Film · 1977
Love and Separation in Sri Lanka
Film · 1976
The Corporation
Film · 1976
Takehisa Yumeji monogatari: koi suru
Film · 1975
Gambling Den Heist
Film · 1975
Shimane Prison Riot
Film · 1975
Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack
Film · 1975
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Final Episode
Film · 1974
Akumyo: Notorious Dragon
Film · 1974
Father of the Kamikaze
Film · 1974
Rise, Fair Sun
Film · 1973
Men and War III: The Final Chapter
Film · 1973
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
Film · 1973
The Blossom and the Sword
Film · 1973
A Woman Called En
Film · 1971
Will to Conquer
Film · 1970
Mominoki wa Nokotta
Series · 1970
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
Film · 1969
Admiral Borneo: Betting at the Equator
Film · 1969
Tsugaru zessho
Film · 1969
The Day the Sun Rose
Film · 1968
One Day at Summer's End
Film · 1968
Cry of the Mountain
Film · 1968
Ryoma ga Yuku
Series · 1968
River of Forever
Film · 1967
Our Silent Love
Film · 1967
Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu
Film · 1965
Love on the Rainbow
Film · 1965
Wolves, Pigs & Men
Film · 1964
The Navy
Film · 1963
Tokaido Fullhouse
Film · 1963
53 Stages of Action
Film · 1963
Keepers of Order
Film · 1962
Yoka chigo zakura Make no wakamusha
Film · 1962
Genkuro Yoshitsune
Film · 1962
A Revengeful Raid
Film · 1962
Knightly Advice
Film · 1962
Law in Ghost Island
Film · 1961
Lord Mito: Struggle of Suke and Kaku
Film · 1961
Whistling Drifter
Film · 1961
Young Lord and Second Son
Film · 1961
Fine Man
Film · 1961
The Orphan Brother
Film · 1961
Traveling of Two Young Men
Film · 1961
Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return
Film · 1960
The Acrobats of Death
Film · 1959
Bloody Battle at Dawn
Film · 1959
Bored Hatamoto: The Daimonji Conspiracy
Film · 1959
Kingdom of Youth
Film · 1958
Bored Hatamoto: Idle Vassal Tribute
Film · 1958
Shadow Over Fuji
Film · 1957
The Mansion of Intrigue
Film · 1957
Virtue in Spades
Film · 1956
Avenging Father
Film · 1956
白虎隊～敗れざる者たち
Series