Katsuhisa Namase

is a Japanese actor, known primarily for his roles in television dramas. His roles are often positions of authority, such as managers, principals, or police officers, but many of these characters also share a certain kookiness and incompetence. Several of these characters wear wigs for comic effect.

Early life He graduated from the Doshisha University Department of Sociology, Faculty of Letters in 1986.

Personal life Namase married model and yoga instructor Yoko Horimoto in 1997 in Hawaii. The couple have one child, a son.

Career Namase joined the in 1983. The first stage role he appeared in was "Sarutobi Sasuke". In 1986 he became the 4th chairman of Sotobakomachi. Around 2001, while working with the theatre company, which he soon departed, he started appearing in a series of late-night variety shows, including Yomiuri TV's "Weekly TV Kojien" gaining popularity, especially among university students. He had many regular TV and radio programs, and became an opinion leader among young people in the Kansai region.

Gokusen (2002–08), Vice Principal Gorō Sawatari Ryōmaden (2010), Yoshida Shōin Detective Kenzō Yabe (2010–13), Detective Kenzō Yabe Your Turn to Kill (2019), Jun'ichirō Tamiya Kotaro Lives Alone (2021–23), Isamu Tamaru Hayabusa Fire Brigade (2023), Kensaku Yamahara Boogie Woogie (2023–24), Kenji Tanahashi The 19th Medical Chart (2025), Eikichi Kitano The Ghost Writer's Wife (2025–26), Heita Hanada

Films

TRICK: The Movie (2002), Detective Kenzō Yabe The Confidence Man JP: The Movie (2019), Ho Your Turn to Kill: The Movie (2021), Jun'ichirō Tamiya The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Hero (2022), Ho The Water Flows to the Sea (2023), Naruse The Innocent Game (2023), Masaharu Kugimiya Bad Lands (2023), Seiji Takashiro Black Showman (2025), Daisuke Kogure Beethoven Fabrication (2025), Stephan von Breuning Angel Flight: The Movie (2026), Goro Kuramochi The Hikikomori Extraction (2026)

Video games Fatal Fury 2 (1992), Joe Higashi, Billy Kane, Laurence Blood Fatal Fury Special (1993), Joe Higashi, Billy Kane, Laurence Blood, Geese Howard The King of Fighters '94 (1994), Joe Higashi The King of Fighters '95 (1995), Billy Kane

Dubbing The Addams Family, Gomez Addams The Addams Family 2, Gomez Addams