Japanese Literary Awards

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Masane Tsukayama

つかやま まさね

Tsukayama Masane

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1944-02-06 （Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Naha, Okinawa Prefecture → Tokyo (after moving to Tokyo)

Career

Occupations
actor, voice actor, narrator
Active Years
1964-
Affiliations
Theatre Company Seinenza (member → emeritus member), Seinenza Eihou (agency)
Influenced
Rikiya Koyama (inspired to pursue voice acting)

Education

Okinawa Prefectural Naha Commercial High School
Country: Japan
Member of the drama club in high school

Awards

Kinokuniya Theatre Award (Individual Prize)
1995
Work: GHETTO (stage production)
Category: 個人賞
Organization: Kinokuniya Theatre Award Committee
Result: winner
Yomiuri Theatre Award (Best Actor)
1996
Work: Shadowlands (stage production)
Category: 優秀男優賞
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: winner
Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2010
Work: Tasogare / Twilight (stage production)
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Art Encouragement Prize)
Result: winner
Seiyu Awards (Merit Award)
2021
Category: 功労賞
Organization: Seiyu Awards Committee
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

GHETTO (stage)

1995 theatre / stage play

A stage play by Joshua Sobol in which he performed; the role was highly acclaimed and led to an individual award.

warhuman dignity

Shadowlands (stage)

1996 theatre / stage play

A stage production scripted by William Nicholson; one of his lead stage roles and earned him the Yomiuri Theatre Award for Best Actor.

faithhuman relationships

Tasogare / Twilight (stage)

2010 theatre / stage play

A stage performance of a play by Ernest Thompson; noted as the work cited when he received the Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education award).

agingrenewal of life

Style & Themes

Literary Style
deep, weighty low-tone deliveryconvincing narration and recitation
Recurring Motifs
narratives connected to Okinawa and wartime experienceshuman suffering and renewal

Health

  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
    1988-04-30
    Underwent convalescence and rehabilitation; returned to the stage the same year
  • cerebral infarction (mild)
    2005-07
    Temporarily withdrew from stage performances; returned via a special radio program and continued with reading performances
  • stroke (attack)
    2009-03-23
    Withdrew from scheduled stage work but returned to TV drama within the same year

Legacy

A long-serving actor and voice actor active across stage, film, television and dubbing. His dubbing for actors such as Kevin Costner has been highly regarded and influenced younger voice actors. He has also continued activities to convey wartime and Okinawan memories through recitation and narration.

In Popular Culture

  • Often cited as a benchmark in film dubbing and noted for his influence on the voice acting community.

Quotes

  • Kevin Costner is an actor I want to continue dubbing for in the future.
    Source: The Cinema special feature 'Monthly Dubbing Voice Actors' interview (2021) (2021)

Trivia

  • Narrator of NHK-FM's 'Crossover Eleven' from 1982 to 2001 (19 years).
  • Known for dubbing many Hollywood stars, notably Kevin Costner.
  • Hobbies include camping, mahjong, and watching films.