Hiroshi Masuoka

He was last affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.

• Name — Hiroshi Masuoka • Native Name — 増岡 弘 • Born — 7 August 1936 • Birthplace — Minami, Saitama Prefecture, Japan • Died — 21 March 2020 • Occupation — * Actor • voice actor • narrator • Years Active — 1958–2019 • Agent — Haikyō • Credits — Sazae-san as Masuo Fuguta Let's Go! Anpanman as Uncle Jam Dragon Ball Z as Master Roshi

Masuoka was born on August 7, 1936 in Minami-Saitama, Saitama Prefecture (now known as Iwatsuki Ward, Saitama City). His family ran a farm, with his father taking great pride in his work as a farmer. In his later years, Masuoka revealed that much of he and his family's food was self-sufficient. In middle school, his homeroom teacher was a painter, to the point of having his works displayed at the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition. He became so inspired by his teacher that he decided to become a painter himself. After graduating from junior high school, thinking he couldn't make a living just by drawing, he decided to enroll in Saitama Prefectural Omiya Technical High School, but dropped out due to various circumstances. He then enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in order to study painting, but dropped out again after only two years because he wanted to paint freely. Eventually, he graduated from the Department of Culture and Arts at Bunka Gakuin. During his time in college, while working a part-time job as a sandwich man for a Chinese restaurant located in Asagaya, Tokyo, he entered the world of theater per the invitation of a coworker of his. At the time, he had no interest in acting, thinking, "What is left behind after rejoicing in a fleeting, festival-like commotion? Besides, since theater is a group activity, it's not something where you can freely express your own individuality. Why would anyone do something like this?" But because he liked art, he ended up taking part in stage design.

While in charge of the set design for a production, one of the cast members ran off with the funds, so Masuoka was asked to take his place, much to his embarrassment. He switched his career dream to acting after feeling deeply ashamed and regretful for having forgotten his lines, driven by a desire to "do it all over again." In 1957, he established the Hyogenza theater troupe together with Makio Inoue and his other peers. He said that he was greatly influenced by the playwright Shūji Terayama, whom he had met, and that it was at Terayama's invitation that he started his acting career in earnest. In 1959, relying on a friend, Masuoka moved to Nagoya, applied for the Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Drama Troupe audition, and he ended up passing, becoming a member of the troupe. In 1961, while he was frequenting the Tokyo branch of Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, a local kissaten master introduced him to a manager, leading to Masuoka joining the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. In 1967, he played the hunchback and took the lead role in "The Hunchback of Aomori" the inaugural performance of the theater company Tenjō Sajiki led by Terayama, though due to various circumstances, he was not a member of the company, making it an external appearance. As a voice actor, he had been active ever since the early days of television. Regarding on when exactly did he start his career as a voice actor, he said in a later interview, "People often ask me that, but when they do, it makes me scratch my head. I honestly have little to no idea when it was." His debut as a voice actor was portraying the role of Kuma in Wolf Boy Ken. In addition to his work as a voice actor, he led the theater company 'Tokyo Renaissance' to train young actors starting in 1986 and served as an instructor in the voice acting department at the Tokyo Animator College, giving lectures all across Japan.

In 2018, Masuoka received the Merit Award at the 12th Seiyu Awards. In August 2019, he retired from the roles of Masuo Fuguta in Sazae-san and Uncle Jam in Let's Go! Anpanman. He proposed to step down from both roles in both programs himself due to his old age. He would later remark that while leaving was "very painful," the catalyst came when he realized his physical strength was declining due to his age, prompting him to wonder, "Will I still be able to convey various things like courage and energy to the viewers in the future?" Thinking of the future, he decided it was time to pass the baton to a fitting successor, leading to graduation. The staff of both series agreed to the decision after discussions, with Hideyuki Tanaka taking over the role of Masuo Fuguta starting August 25 that year and Kōichi Yamadera taking over the role of Uncle Jam. Around a month before and after the announcements above, Masuoka temporarily stepped down from narrating Ariyoshi-kun no Shojiki Sanpo due to declining health, but returned in September.

Masuoka died from rectal cancer on March 21, 2020, at 83 years old. After his funeral and farewell service were held privately with only close relatives, the announcement of his death was made to the public media on March 26 that year. Following his death, a mourning message and tribute telop was shown in the March 29 broadcast of Sazae-san of that year. Hideyuki Tanaka, Masuoka's successor on Sazae-san as the voice of Masuo, shared a memorial statement, "I have worked together with Masuoka-san on many programs since long ago. His gentle smile, his fun conversations, and his calm personality. I will remember all of it forever. Please rest in peace." Additionally, on the April 4 broadcast of Ariyoshi-kun no Shojiki Sanpo the same year, an on-screen memorial message at the beginning and a memorial video clip after the end of the broadcast for Masuoka were shown.

His voice range was baritone, bass-baritone. It was often said that his voice quality never changed. Regarding it, he said, "I'm sure that a voice is something that comes from the heart, so as long as your heart doesn't change, you can keep sounding the same forever... I like to think that voices don't grow old." His special skill was rakugo. He was a disciple of Yanagiya Sansuke the 2nd, and his stage name was "Masamasaya Chansuke" (益々家ちゃん助). His personal hobby was making miso (described below). In addition, he continued a self-sufficient lifestyle by making pottery, pickles, and growing vegetables. He had many siblings, with him being the second son with an older brother and younger sister.

When building a character, it is said that he first thought of an unsuitable (or over-the-top) performance, and then narrowed down his acting approach from there. This is because, based on a past failure when he played a black character early in his career and tried to crush their voice while acting based on the stereotype of a "black person," a director told them, "I want you to play the role based on the character's situation," leading him to re-realize that a voice actor's job is not about "creating a voice" but rather "creating a person." He was active in fostering the next generation and served as an instructor at multiple vocational schools and training institutes. According to his former student Yūichi Matsumoto, Masuoka's strict guidance was well-known among students. Masuoka acknowledged this, saying, "There are times when I wonder if I might be going too far," then adding, "I've decided to speak the truth, even if it means people might dislike me. After all, a mentor is only a mentor if they provide guidance." "If you just give safe, inoffensive advice, you'll never become a voice actor—not even in 100 years. I hope that before they graduate, my students will find at least one opportunity to discover something that fits them perfectly—'a charm unique to them, or a role that only they can play.

In the anime Sazae-san, succeeding Shinsuke Chikaishi, Masuoka served as the second voice actor for Masuo Fuguta for about 41 years, from the broadcast on June 11, 1978, to the broadcast on August 18, 2019. Although Chikaishi was his senior, they became friends through shared hobbies like making miso. Also, when Masuoka was starting out, Chikaishi told him, "Masuoka-san, you can easily understand what an actor is if you compare it to a single company. What to make, whether what you made is needed in today's world, whether everyone knows about it through promotion, checking what sells—the presidents and employees who do all of these things are all inside you. Try thinking of yourself as a single company. If you do that, naturally everyone will cooperate happily with each other to make good things, and there is no way it won't sell." He would say that those words had a major impact on his acting career. Based on his experience of playing Masuo, he came to intentionally stop being conscious of his predecessor's performance when taking over roles for other works like Dragon Ball Z. When performing, he is known for his unique deliveries of casual lines and exclamations like "Eh~?!". He claimed "I'm home~" and "See you later~" as his favorite lines of Masuo, because "there was a plain yet warm sound to them." Regarding recording for Sazae-san, it felt just like everyday life, so he didn't feel at all like he was doing work, but noted that "that is also the good part about it". At the same time however, he would sometimes voice complaints with treatment he received. Regarding the show itself, it is described as a work that casually teaches important things such as manners and etiquette. Masuoka noted given that in the current world, with nuclear families are becoming more common, "I think deep down, a family where three generations live together, just like Sazae-san's family, might be the ideal. That must be why it seeps smoothly into the hearts of the viewers, like the taste of tea served at just the right temperature.", he said. He mentioned living environments that are rarely seen these days, such as small children riding tricycles by themselves and two full-time housewives diligently raising children, and said, "A household with a high self-sufficiency rate in every sense. I think that is what everyone is looking for." Regarding the character of Katsuo, he said, "His priorities are different from modern children, and what makes him admirable is that they prioritize play over studying", following with, "We live in a society that demands perfection, but I think it is totally fine to get lost in play like Katsuo."

In the anime Let's Go! Anpanman, he voiced the character of Uncle Jam for many years, from the start of the show's broadcast on October 3, 1988, to the broadcast on August 9, 2019. When voicing Uncle Jam, Masuoka avoided using a cold tone of voice and placed focus on the "warmth in his words" while portraying the character so that the children who watched the show could understand him. "Everyone's kindness truly translates into the warmth of their words, which I think is easy for children to accept", he said. "That's why Anpanman gives a sense of fulfillment and is such a wonderful work. It is a work that I keep hoping children around the world will continue to watch forever." He had close friendships with the staff and cast members he worked with for many years. Keiko Toda, who voices Anpanman, said of Masuoka, "He is the oldest among the regular cast, so we call him 'Shippo' (Master)", and Michiyo Yanagisawa, who voices Currypanman, revealed that when she was troubled during the early days of the broadcast, Masuoka quietly invited her out for tea and offered words of encouragement. According to Toda on her blog, Masuoka was quite depressed when Kaneta Kimotsuki, the original voice actor for Horrorman on the show, died in 2016, with Toda remarking, "They were of the same generation, weren't they? It's only natural." Even after leaving the show, he kept in touch with the show's staff and cast, often visiting the recording studio up until his death.

List of voice performances in television animation • Year — Title — Role(s) — Notes — Source • 1964 — Wolf Boy Ken — Kuma • 1965 — Uchuu Patrol Hopper — Additional voice • Astro Boy — Additional voice • 1966 — Osomatsu-kun — Watchmaker, Henchman, Customer at "L'Français" restaurant (Iyami's French Eaves), Boss of the Smog Family • 1967 — Kaminari Boy Pikkaribee — Additional voice • Gokū no Daibōken — Hunter, One-eyed • 1968 — The Monster Kid — Kyodaigon • Star of the Giants — Additional voice • Cyborg 009 — 005 / Geronimo Junior • Sally the Witch — Pesu • 1969 — Plum Star Prince — Additional voice • Undersea Boy Marine — Henchman A, Man A • 1970 — Ashita no Joe — Tarō • The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee — Tokubee • Mōretsu Atarō — Police Chief, Taxi Driver • 1971 — Attack No. 1 — Additional voice • Sarutobi Ecchan — Additional voice • Kunimatsu-sama no Otoridai! — Additional voice • 1972 — Astroganger — Monster • Apache Yakyūgun — Additional voice • Triton of the Sea — Gelpess — Second voice • Pinocchio: The Series — Monster snake • GeGeGe no Kitarō — Additional voice • Devilman — Zan'nin, Adult — First voice of Zan'nin • Mazinger Z — Additional voice • 1973 — The Gutsy Frog — Rakugo Master, Additional voice • Babel II — Additional voice • 1974 — Cutie Honey — Additional voice • Great Mazinger — Additional voice • Dororon Enma-kun — Additional voice • The Song of Tentomushi — A Week of Weight Gain • First Human Giatrus — Additional voice • 1975 — Shogun in His Boyhood — Okuyama Denshin-sai • Time Bokan — Duncan, Demon's Head • 1976 — Dino Mech Gaiking — Prometheus • Don Chuck Monogatari — Kurobe, Simon, Konkon Tayu • 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother — Additional voice • Magne Robo Gakeen — Additional voice • Happy Section Chief — Additional voice • Maya the Honey Bee — Jack, Bird • 1977 — Voltes V — Zool, General Oka, Noble B • Dokaben — Tako Hachi, Denkichi, Doctor, Chairman of the Board, President, Committee Chair • Tobidase! Machine Hiryū — Ockkanavitch — Main role • Yatterman — King Kamehameha • Wakakusa no Charlotte — Jackson, Mitchell, Bobson — Second voice of Bobson • 1978 — Nobody's Boy: Remi — Pagès • Ikkyū-san — Additional voice • Sazae-san — Masuo Fuguta — Second voice • Her Majesty's Petite Angie — Silver • King Fang — Leader • Treasure Island — Additional voice • Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern — Ushigoro • The Story of Perrine — Younger Brother • The Adventures of the Little Prince — Bird, Dongo • Majokko Tickle — Teacher Takakura • Manga Nihon Emaki — Additional voice • Future Boy Conan — Gucci • Song of Baseball Enthusiasts — Oka, Kintarō • Lupin the 3rd Part II — Counsel, Onabess' Aide — Counsel in episode 21, Onabess' Aide in Ep. 42 • 1979 — King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table — Tontamu • Galaxy Express 999 — Policeman, Gutara, Gandel, Shaward, Old Man, Castle Lord • Koguma no Misha — Village Chief • Gordian Warrior — Annonji • Doraemon — Shack Owner • Hana no Ko Lunlun — Additional voice • 1980 — The Monster Kid — Additional voice • Ganbare Genki — Katsuzo Yamaya • Cyborg 009 — Randolph • Sue Cat — Foreman • Astro Boy — Secretary-General, Gorō • The Wonderful Adventures of Nils — Mouse, Bear, Additional voice • Nextworld — Additional voice • The Rose of Versailles — Additional voice • Invincible Robo Trider G7 — Shinkichi's father, the lodge owner • 1981 — Urusei Yatsura — Additional voice • Dash Kappei — Okazaki • Dr. Slump – Arale-chan — Ocha-kun/Mr. Handy • Superbook — Gizmo the Crusading Robot • Bremen 4: Angels in Hell — Others — Television film • Manga Mito Kōmon — Additional voice • Yattodetaman — Don José • 1982 — Scientific Rescue Team Technoboyger — Head of Department • Gyakuten! Ippatsuman — Benkei • Robby the Rascal — Yosaku, Dr. Deco (Deco-yama Bokota) • Sasuga no Sarutobi — Sarutobi Kogen, The Lady at the Okonomiyaki Restaurant • Tokimeki Tonight — Cheshire Cat, Jaws III • Miss Machiko — Old Man from Kagoshima, Mr. Arashi, Fortune Teller, Uncle Kinsan • Magical Princess Minky Momo — King • Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow — Hoodie • 1983 — Akū Daisakusen Srungle — Magician • Eagle Sam — Officer Bogey • The Yearling — Bag Forest • Nine — Katsuya's father • Personal Computer Travel Detective Team — Wind-up Clock • Plawres Sanshiro — Roger • Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel — Principal, Additional voice • Manga Japanese History — Tokugawa Ieyasu, Takahashi Kageyasu • Mīmu Iro Iro Yume no Tabi — Louis Pasteur, Louis Daguerre, Temple Carpenter • 1984 — Glass Mask — Additional voice • Chō Kōsoku Galvion — Mosel • Katri, Girl of the Meadows — Teacher B • Sherlock Hound — George/Todd • Elves of the Forest — Additional voice • Ranpō — Dr. Hosamochi • 1985 — Ashita Tenki ni Naare — Additional voice • Onegai! Samia-don — Additional voice • Dirty Pair — Salesman A • Touch — Toshio Asakura • 1986 — GeGeGe no Kitarō — Ijuin, Mōryō • Animated Classics of Japanese Literature — Jūkichi Ōyama • Doteraman — Benkei • Bug tte Honey — Waldrado, Additional voice • Maison Ikkoku — Toshizō, Yakuza • Robotan — Additional voice • 1987 — The Three Musketeers — Foreman • Mami the Psychic — Juro Sakura — Main role • Ganbare, Kickers! — Fujiwara • New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter — Director Stelberg — Ep. 4 • 1988 — Ultra B — Sushi Restaurant • Let's Go! Anpanman — Uncle Jam, Aokinman, Minister of the Right, Moo-san, Horse, Crocodile Man, Townspeople — First voice of Uncle Jam, Third and sixth voice of Moo-san • Ironfist Chinmi — Rōshi Rō • What's Michael? — Shinnosuke • Mister Ajikko — Musutaki • 1989 — The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee — The Mayor, Dr. Beetle, Tokubei • The New Adventures of Kimba The White Lion — Kutta • New Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics — Bear • The Tale of Osamu Tezuka: I'm Son-Goku — Sagojo — Television film • Madö King Granzört — Elder • Wrestler Gundan Seisenshi Robin Jr. — King Oora Fire-man • 1990 — Samurai Pizza Cats — Zaikingoro • The Jungle Book — Abdullah • Let's Go! Anpanman: Save the Southern Sea! — Uncle Jam — Television special • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water — Henri/George (Jean's uncle) • My Daddy Long Legs — Walter Griggs • 1991 — Kinkyū Hasshin Saver Kids — Admiral Hope • Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai — Temujin • Ranma ½ — Toramasa Kobayakawa • RPG Densetsu Hepoi — Captain • The Laughing Salesman — Kazuo Uwame, Yorimichi Ukai, Colleagues — Kazuo Uwame in Ep. 51, Yorimichi Ukai in Ep. 97 • 1992 — Cooking Papa — Tetsushi Higashiyama • Bush Baby, Little Angel of the Grasslands — Gideon • Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun — Chappy • Fantasy Adventure: Nagagutsu o Haita Neko no Bōken — King • 1994 — Tico and Friends — James • Magical Circle Guru Guru — Bado • The Brave Police J-Decker — Pierrot — Ep. 6 • 1995 — Saint Tail — Tangerine • Nintama Rantarō — Itaino Hida, Court Noble, Acrobat (Leader of a Band of Thieves), Male • 1996 — The Legend of Zorro — Ed • Dragon Ball Z — Master Roshi — Second voice; Eps 288–291 • Dragon Ball GT — Master Roshi • 1998 — Touch: Are kara, Kimi wa... -Miss Lonely Yesterday- — Toshio Asakura (Minami Asakura's father) — Television special • 1999 — We Know You, Moonlight Mask-kun! — Kamaboko President • Great Detective Conan — Nobuo Iwama, Takanori Genda — Nobuo Iwama in Ep. 161, Takanori Genda in Eps 325–327 • 2000 — Hidamari no Ki — Misaemon Tamaya — Ep. 15 • 2001 — Fruits Basket — Tohru's grandfather • 2002 — Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat — Elderly Gentleman • 2011 — Nichijou — Voodoo doll, Narrator — Ep. 3 • 2019 — Everyday of Urashimasakatasen — School Principal

List of voice performances in theatrical animation • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Source • 1966 — Cyborg 009 — 005 / Geronimo Junior • 1969 — The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots — Big • 1984 — Sherlock Hound: Blue Ruby Chapter and Treasure at the Bottom of the Ocean Chapter — Jewelry Store Manager • 2008 — Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! — Master Roshi — Short film

List of voice performances in original video animation • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Source • 1989 — Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket — Dick Lumnba • 1992 — Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki — Galactic Police Commander

List of voice performances in video games • Year — Title — Role — Notes — Source • 2002 — Dragon Ball Z: Budokai — Master Roshi • 2004 — Everybody's Golf Portable — Tanaka • 2005 — Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 — Master Roshi • 2005 — Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! — Master Roshi • 2006 — Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Neo — Master Roshi • 2007 — Dragon Ball Z: Sparking! Meteor — Master Roshi • 2008 — Dragon Ball DS — Master Roshi • 2009 — Dragon Ball: World's Greatest Adventure — Master Roshi • 2010 — Dragon Ball DS 2: Charge! Red Ribbon Army — Master Roshi • 2012 — Bravely Default — Sage Yulyana

• Ultraman Leo – Ultraman King (Ep. 50) • Android Kikaider – Orange Ant (Ep. 3), Gold Wolf (Ep. 11), Golden Bat (Ep. 15), Black Chameleon (Ep. 18), Green Mammoth (Eps 25 – 26), Red Squid (Ep. 30), Black Echidna (Ep. 34), Red Mine Toad (Eps 41 – 42) • Android Kikaider Movie – Multi Colored Sand Lizard • Kikaider 01 – Shadow Mummy (Ep. 16), Poisonous Mendicant (Ep. 17), Shadow Thorned Starfish No.02 (No.01 voiced by Setsuo Wakui) (Ep. 23) • Inazuman – Wind Banbara (Ep. 5), Devil Banbara (Ep. 12) • Himitsu Sentai Gorenger – Shining Masked, Ironclaw Masked, Hatchet Masked, Phone Masked, Shellfish Masked, Clock Masked, Can opener Masked, Piano Masked, • Battle Fever J – Left Hand Monster • Dengeki Sentai Changeman – Navigator Gator • Jikuu Senshi Spielban – Dreampacker • Gosei Sentai Dairanger – Haniwa Ventriloquist (Ep. 16) • B-Fighter Kabuto – Rock Shell Chamberlain Dord • Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger – Narrator, Gao God • Kamen Rider Hibiki Hyper Battle DVD – Madder Hawk

• Blue Steel (1993 Fuji TV edition) – Frank Turner (Philip Bosco) • Child's Play 3 – Colonel Francis Cochrane (Dakin Matthews) • Die Hard 2 (1994 TV Asahi edition) – Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) • Harlem Nights – Sgt. Phil Cantone (Danny Aiello) • Muppet Treasure Island – Blind Pew • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation – Eddie Johnson (Randy Quaid) • The NeverEnding Story III (1996 TV Asahi edition) – Mrs. Rockbiter

• The Rescuers Down Under – Doctor Mouse