Akiji Kobayashi
Date of birth: 1930-09-06
Place of birth: Yodobashi ward, Tokyo, Japan
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Shōji Kobayashi, Kobayashi Akiji
Biography
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.
Movie Credits
47 Ronin
1994-10-22
Kon Ichikawa's retelling of the classic true story of Samurai honor. When a young clan lord is force
Kwaidan
1965-01-06
Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four fol
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril
1972-12-30
Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan,
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
1991-12-14
The Futurians, time-travelers from the 23rd century, arrive in Japan to warn them of the nation's de
Youth of the Beast
1963-04-21
When a mysterious stranger muscles into two rival yakuza gangs, Tokyo's underworld explodes with vio
Getting Any?
1995-02-11
While pursuing his dream of having car sex, a goofy middle-aged man makes all the wrong moves and en
Godzilla vs. Mothra
1992-12-12
Mothra's dark counterpart, Battra, emerges to eliminate humanity on behalf of the Earth. Two tiny fa
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
1972-04-22
Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must eliminate a trai
Foundry Town
1962-04-08
Set in Kawaguchi in the early 60s, this simple story chronicles the lives of foundry families and on
Pleasures of the Flesh
1965-08-29
After committing murder, businessman Atsushi is blackmailed into keeping a suitcase of embezzled mon
The Kagestar: The Movie
1976-07-18
The superhero The Kagestar fights the monsters of the Satan Empire.
Five Riders vs. King Dark
1974-07-25
During a motocross practice, Keisuke Jin is ambushed by two Myth Cyborgs created by a secret organiz
Go Go Kamen Rider
1971-07-18
The Shocker Organization sends two of its Inhumanoids to destroy an atomic plant, but their plan is
Kamen Rider vs. Shocker
1972-03-17
Professor Daidōji has developed a gravity machine called the GX Device. Unfortunately, Shocker wants
Kamen Rider V3 vs. Destron Mutants
1973-07-18
A physicist named Tetsuo Okita discovers a new mineral called "Satanium," which is more powerful tha
The Inugami Family
1976-10-16
When a tycoon passes away, he unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to outsider Tamayo on the condi
Immortal Kamen Rider Special
1979-09-08
A TV special, centered on introduction of Skyrider.
This Transient Life
1970-08-08
Near a remote Buddhist monastery, a young man falls in love with his sister and gets her pregnant. A
Run, Melos!
1992-07-25
The movie tells the story of Melos, a Greek country man that gets arrested and accused of conspiracy
Lullaby to Kill
1977-04-02
Kôsuke Kindaichi, a somewhat peculiar private detective, visits a remote town. He meets a police det
Mandala
1971-09-11
Two university students from Kyoto decide to swap partners and spend the night in an isolated motel.
Hanuman and the Five Kamen Riders
1975-03-15
With an unquenchable thirst for the blood of virgin women, the wicked King Dark enslaves the brillia
Kogarashi Monjirō Returns
1993-11-20
The Men Who Made Ultraman
1989-03-21
A biographical dramatization about the production of the original Ultraman, the beloved classic spec
The Curse of the Ghost
1969-06-28
About 1786 the doings of a demented lord results in many masterless samurai, including Iyemon (Kei S
Akio Jissoji's Ultraman
1979-03-17
Akio Jissoji's Ultraman is a 1979 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film directed by Akio Jissoji. It is a co
Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars
1990-04-14
A series of serial murders occurred in a historic ruins where a TV crew is shooting a documentary.
Return of Ultraman: Terror of the Waterspout Monsters
1971-12-12
A theatrical release of The Return of Ultraman episodes 13-14. It was released on December 12, 1971
Master Swordsman Hirate Miki - Duel in Tone
1997-09-17
Zoushu Hirate was the acting master of Chibashusaku Dojo in the Hokushinitto style. His wife was dea
The Tale of Jean Valjean
1979-09-15
In 19th century France, an escaped convict seeks redemption while caring for a young woman whose mot
Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 5 - The Mystery of the Skull Wife
1971-08-01
Fifth film of "Mysterious Thirteen Nights" series.
Harakiri
1962-09-15
Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemp
Black Rain
1989-05-13
Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his
Intruders
1963-02-23
A salaryman living alone in a small apartment is visited by complete strangers, a large family with
The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
1959-11-20
Kaji is sent to the Japanese army labeled Red and is mistreated by the vets. Along his assignment, K
Like the Clouds, Like the Wind
1990-03-21
Ginga is a simple—yet energetic—country girl, living with her father far from the capital city of th
The Longest Tunnel
1982-10-16
After a passenger ship sinks in 1954, Go Akutsu devises a life-saving project in the form of a tunne
Shogun Assassin
1980-11-11
A Shogun who grew paranoid as he became senile sent his ninjas to kill his samurai. They failed but
Death Shadows
1986-09-20
Three men sentenced to death are spared and changed into “shadows executioners”, a group of ruthless
Ultraman Zearth
1996-03-09
Ultraman Zearth hails from The Land of Pikari in Nebula Z95. He has a big red face and dislikes dirt
Queen Bee
1978-02-11
To solve the mystery of a murder of an old governess which takes place at a wealthy Daidoji family's
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
1967-07-22
The film consists of re-edited material from the original television series Ultraman. Episodes 1, 8,
Ultraman: Terror on Route 87
1989-04-28
Theatrical version of episode 20 of Ultraman (1966 TV series). An enormous bird-monster is attacking
Daigoro vs. Goliath
1972-12-17
An inventor and his family try to raise funds to feed a giant monster named Daigoro so that he doesn
Fight of the Gamblers
1963-12-25
Ryuji Oshima, a gambler, kills Saiga in self-defense, and considering himself unfit to lead men, sec
Kamen Rider Amazon: The Movie
1975-03-21
The Kamen Rider Amazon movie is a theatrical version of episode 16, Garander's Tokyo Sea of Flames O
Kamen Rider vs. Ambassador Hell
1972-07-16
Takeshi Hongo and FBI agent Kazuya Taki fake their deaths when they are attacked by Shocker soldiers
Kamen Rider V3: The Movie
1973-03-16
During a battle against Destron's forces, Shiro Kazami helps a priest who has been attacked by the e
Internal Sleuth
1973-04-21
When 150 guns are stolen from Iwakuni base and two police officers are shot dead, a detective crimin
Island of Hell
1977-08-27
A scruffy detective investigates the murders of three sisters on a small Japanese island in 1946.
Kamen Rider SD: Strange?! Kumo Otoko
1993-01-24
"Kamen Rider SD: Strange!? Kumo Otoko" is an animated OVA based on the gag manga Kamen Rider SD: Hur
Lonely Heart
1981-10-10
A police procedural surrounding murder at a bookstore and the private lives of the cops trying to so
Prison Break
1969-08-30
Set up to be the patsy by a rival gang, Furuta Makoto attacks the yakuza boss he thinks is responsib
Karate Cop
1982-04-17
A martial arts master/detective investigates a series of murders and helps a deaf bathhouse attendan
Kamen Rider Stronger: The Movie
1975-07-26
Waniida from Black Satan attacks a young boy and long-time Kamen Rider ally Tōbei Tachibana, but Kam
Desperate Pursuit
1986-05-17
In the desert of Egypt, Kurata, the CEO of the Japanese corporation Tokokaihatsu, is killed by a sni
All Together! Seven Kamen Riders!!
1976-01-03
The special opens with Tachibana Tōbei taking some children to a Kamen Rider roadshow. Just as he's
Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle
1979-07-21
A 1979 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film produced by Tsuburaya Productions, consisting of re-edited mate
Suspicion
1982-09-11
A car going at 25 mph plunges into the sea at Shinko Harbour, Toyama prefecture. Inside is the local
Koto: The Ancient City
1980-12-20
Chieko (Momoe Yamaguchi) has been raised as the only child of parents who run a dry goods store. Whe
The House of Hanging
1979-05-26
This time, Kousuke investigates a murder in a hospital. The murderer leaves misleading evidence to d
Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice
1972-12-30
Fearless Edo-period police inspector Hanzo Itami, nicknamed The Razor, has developed his own unique
Utamaro's World
1977-09-17
Utamaro was an artist who lived in Edo (which was later to become modern-day Tokyo) in the late 18th
The Black Hood
1981-12-03
A horse-riding samurai fights villains.
Noh Mask Murders
1991-03-16
The patriarch of a bickering family announces his retirement, stirring competition about who will su
The Makioka Sisters
1983-05-21
This sensuously beautiful film chronicles the activities of four sisters who gather in Kyoto every y
The Pirates of Buban
1972-01-01
By going to the Philippines, Imamura comes to meet people living in an extreme poverty. He discovers
The Birth of Ultraman
1966-07-10
In this recorded stage debut of the original Ultraman, self-proclaimed world's number one kaiju tame
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion
1996-07-12
A strange meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on col
Yuki
1981-08-09
Up in Heaven, Yuki’s grandparents decide that, having turned thirteen years old, she must go down to
The Empty Table
1985-11-01
One year has passed since the Kidojis' eldest son Otohiko was arrested for his part in a terrorist k
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
1972-01-15
Official Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yag
Ten Duels of Young Shingo: Chapter 2
1982-02-26
Brings Shingo face to face against Yagyu Tajima, the Shogun’s fencing instructor in a match that cou
Bakumatsu seishun graffiti: Ronin Sakamoto Ryoma
1986-01-25
Revive! Ultraman
1996-03-09
The film is composed of stock footage from the original Ultraman television series with additional n
Afternoon When Flowers Fell
1989-10-07
A widowed restaurateur is faced with scandal after discovering her late husband had a child out of w
The Woman Who Calls for Corpses
1973-02-05
The Return of the Filthy Seven
1967-10-21
A 1967 crime film
The Shogun Assassins
1979-09-01
This is a film about a real person. Sanada Yukimura fought a war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Lady on 6th Street: Taste of Honey
1982-10-02
The night in Ginza was shimmering with neon lights. A grand celebration was being held for the seven
The Father of Ultra Q
1966-06-02
Akio Jissoji's documentary on the production of Ultra Q. Interview with series creator Eiji Tsuburay
The 8-Tomb Village
1996-10-26
A band of samurai warriors places a curse on a family fortune thus frustrating the heir 4 centuries