Voice actor
Kousei Tomita passed away due to a stroke on Sunday. He was 84.
Tomita was a Tokyo native who began his career as a stage actor with the Gekidan Tōgei theatrical troupe. His more than 50-year career in the anime industry began with a role in the original 1963
Astro Boy series, and he reprised the role of Higeoyaji in various anime from
Osamu Tezuka.
He also voiced the title character in the original 1973
Doraemon television anime series. Tomita's other anime roles included Bakabon's papa in
Heisei Tensai Bakabon, Dr. Hell and Nuke in
Mazinger Z, Inspector Ohtsuka in
Shin Tetsujin 28, Dr. Saotome in
Getter Robo, Alexander Bucock in
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Bouleuse Gotho in
Armored Trooper Votoms, and Emperor Daibazaal and the narrator in
Voltron.
Additionally, Tomita provided Japanese
dub voices for Western films and television series such as Rocky, Airwolf, Emperor of the North Pole, and the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film. He had a role in the Appare Sanma Daisensei variety program, and also worked as a narrator. Tomita's voice recordings featured in Tokyo Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain ride.