Kin'ya Kitaōji
Kin'ya Kitaōji, born February 23, 1943, in Kyoto, Japan, is a well-known actor. He is the son of famous jidai-geki star Ichikawa Utaemon and studied at Waseda University in Tokyo. He began acting in 1956 in the Toei film Oyakodaka, playing Katsu Kaishū with his father.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Kitaōji appeared in many contemporary films and TV projects, including Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima and its final episode, as well as Karei naru Ichizoku. He had the title role in the 1975 film Takehisa Yumeji.
On television, Kitaōji played Miyamoto Musashi in a Nippon TV series. He appeared as Sakamoto Ryōma in the NHK taiga drama Ryōma ga Yuku (1968) and led the long-running cop show Zenigata Heiji. In 1985 he portrayed Yagyū Jūbei in Fūun Yagyū Bugeichō, and he later played Tokugawa Yoshimune, Yagyū Shinrokurō, and Tokugawa Iemitsu in other specials and series.
He returned to NHK’s taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune (1987) as Date Terumune. He played Saotome Mondonosuke in Gozonji! Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko (1988–1994) on TV Asahi. Kitaōji again took on Miyamoto Musashi in 1990 and in a 1996 New Year special. He first portrayed Ōishi Kuranosuke in 1996’s Chūshingura, then reprised the role in 2004 and 2007 specials.
Other historic roles include Azai Nagamasa, Saitō Dōsan, and Yamamoto Kansuke. In fiction, he played Ogami Ittō in the Lone Wolf and Cub TV series (2002–2004). He returned to Katsu Kaishū in the 2008 taiga drama Atsuhime. He won Best Actor at the 10th Hochi Film Award for Fire Festival and Haru no Kane. He also starred in The Incite Mill and voices the father character in SoftBank’s White Family ads.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:24 (CET).