Hisaya Morishige

was a Japanese actor and comedian. Born in Hirakata, Osaka, he graduated from Kitano Middle School (now Kitano High School), and attended Waseda University. He began his career as a stage actor, then became an announcer for NHK, working in Manchukuo. He became famous in films first for comedy roles, appearing in series such as the "Company President" (Shacho) and "Station Front" (Ekimae) series, produced by Toho. He appeared in nearly 250 films, both contemporary and jidaigeki. He was also famous on stage playing Tevye in the Japanese version of Fiddler on the Roof. He also appeared in television series and specials, and was the first guest on the television talk show Tetsuko's Room in 1975. He was long-time head of the Japan Actors Union. Among many honors, Morishige received the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan in 1991.

Hisaya Morishige died of natural causes at a hospital in Tokyo on November 10, 2009, at the age of 96.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Director Notes 1947 Joyū Teinosuke Kinugasa 1955 Keisatsu Nikki Policeman Yoshii Seiji Hisamatsu Lead role Meoto zenzai Ryukichi Koreyasu Shirō Toyoda Lead role 1956 Romantic Daughters Morishita Toshio Sugie A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women Shōzō Shirō Toyoda 1956–71 Company President series (40 films) The company president Shūe Matsubayashi and others Lead role 1957 Snow Country Imura Shirō Toyoda 1958 A Holiday in Tokyo Kajirō Yamamoto The Tale of the White Serpent All men characters (voice) Taiji Yabushita 1958–69 Ekimae series (24 films) Tokunosuke Morita and others Kozo Saeki and others Lead role 1961 The End of Summer Eiichirou Isomura Yasujirō Ozu 1971 Tora-san's Shattered Romance Senzō Yoji Yamada 1972 Zatoichi at Large Tōbei Kazuo Mori 1978 The Incident Tamizō Kiyokawa Yoshitarō Nomura 1980 The Battle of Port Arthur Itō Hirobumi Toshio Masuda 1981 Imperial Navy Naoki Hongō Shūe Matsubayashi 1983 Shōsetsu Yoshida Gakkō Shigeru Yoshida Shirō Moritani Lead role 1984 Sayonara Jupiter Earth Federation President Koji Hashimoto/Sakyo Komatsu 1990 Ruten no umi Kumago Matsuzaka Buichi Saitō Lead role 1994 47 Ronin Chisaka Takafusa Kon Ichikawa 1997 Princess Mononoke Okkoto-nushi (voice) Hayao Miyazaki 2001 Doraemon: Nobita and the Winged Braves Professor Torino (voice) Tsutomu Shibayama Special appearance 2004 Blooming Again Rokusaburō Aoki Isshin Inudo Special appearance

Television Year Title Role Network Notes1975 Genroku Taiheiki Tokugawa Mitsukuni NHK Taiga drama Ōoka Echizen Dr. Yuzan Mikumo TBS 1975–77 Edo o Kiru Tokugawa Nariaki TBS Special appearance 1981 Sekigahara Tokugawa Ieyasu TBS Lead role, miniseries 1986 Byakkotai Inoue Okazumi NTV Lead role

Dubbing Year Title Role 1986 When the Wind Blows Jim 1997 Hercules Opening narrator

Songs Shiretoko Ryojō, a song about the Shiretoko Peninsula

Writings

Honours Medal with Purple Ribbon (1975) Person of Cultural Merit (1984) Order of the Precious Crown, 2nd Class, Peony (1987) Order of Culture (1991) Honorary citizen of Tokyo (1997) People's Honour Award (2009, Posthumous award) Junior Third Rank (2009, Posthumous award)