Portrait of Hisaya Morishige

Hisaya Morishige

Acting

Biography

Hisaya Morishige (森繁久彌, Morishige Hisaya, May 4, 1913 – November 10, 2009) 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.

Born: May 4, 1913

Place of Birth: Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Filmography

2004
Shinibana

as Rokusaburō Aoki

2001
Doraemon: Nobita and the Winged Braves

as Professor Torino (voice)

1997
Going West: to the West

as Neighbor Osamu

1997
Princess Mononoke

as Chief of Affairs (voice)

1994
47 Ronin

as Hyobu Chisaka

1986
Byakkotai

as Inoue Okazumi

1984
1984
Sayonara Jupiter

as Earth Federation President

1983
The Yoshida School

as Shigeru Yoshida

1982
The Longest Tunnel

as Gensuke Kishida

1981
The Imperial Navy

as Naoki Hongo

1981
Sekigahara

as Ieyasu Tokugawa

1980
Port Arthur

as Hirobumi Ito

1978
The Incident

as Kiyokawa

1976
Two Iida

as Riichiro Sugawa

1975
Genroku Taiheiki

as Mitsukuni Tokugawa

1974
Machi no Hi

as Kurita

1973
The Twilight Years

as Shigezo Tachibana

1972
Zatoichi at Large

as Constable Tobei

1971
1970
Five Gents and a Kuniang

as Amino Santarō

1970
1969
Travels of Lord Mito

as Kômon Mito

1969
1969
5 Gents Fly to Kyushu

as Chōtarō Ōtaka (President, Marubō Cosmetics)

1968
1968
Five Gents and Karate Grandpa

as Keitaro Takayama (Takayama Trading President)

1967
Five Gents Prefer Geisha

as Keitarō Shōji (President, Shōji Tourism)

1967
Discover Japan with the 5 Gents

as Keitarō Shōji (President, Shōji Tourism)

1966
Five Gents on the Spot

as Yaichiro Kurihara

1966
A Company President's Life Story

as Kurihara Yaichirō (Sunrise President)

1965
President's Ninja Trick Book Part II

as Kyutarō Iwato (President, Iwato Construction)

1965
Five Gents' Trick Book

as Kutaro Iwato

1964
The Naked Executive

as Kôshirô Hidaka

1964
Ken

as Mibu

1964
Hail the 3 Gents

as Reijiro Koizumi

1963
Company President Travels Abroad Part II

as Keinosuke Kazama (Company President)

1963
Company President Travels Abroad

as Kazama Keinosuke (President)

1963
1963
Travel Stories of a Company President Part II

as Heitarō Dōmoto (President)

1963
Yushu Heiya

as Katayuki

1962
This Madding Crowd

as Professor

1962
A Country Boss

as Takeo Aihara

1961
The End of Summer

as Isomura Eiichirou

1961
An Urban Affair

as Kintaro Togura

1961
1961
Playboy President

as Misawa Einosuke

1960
The Wayside Pebble

as Shogo Aikawa

1960
The Masterless 47

as Yoshio Oishi

1960
The Angry Sea

as Hikoichi

1960
This Greedy Old Skin

as Hikohachi Mukoyama

1960
New Third Class Executive: Travel, Women and Drinking

as Shirō Sawamura (Executive Director)

1959
New Third-Class Executive

as Shirō Sawamura

1959
Fox and Raccoon

as Tampei Nukada

1959
Temptation on Glamour Island

as Navy Captain Prince Tamehisa

1958
The Tale of the White Serpent

as Xu-Xian / Fa-Hai / Panda / Dragon King / Catfish King / Narrator (voice)

1958
The Child Writers

as Mr. Kawahara

1958
1958
1958
The Third President

as Keitaro Asakawa

1957
Snow Country

as Imura

1957
1956
Jacks and Jills

as Morishita

1956
1956
The President Talks Bank

as Zennosuke Tashiro

1956
The President's Boss

as Zennosuke Tashiro

1955
Tales of Ginza

as Narrator (voice)

1955
1955
Policeman's Diary

as Patrolman Yoshii

1954
Shigemori Goes To Tokyo

as Shigemori Shigeo

1953
Tokyo Profile

as Mr. Maki

1953
Bot-chan

as Akashatsu

1952
1952
Third Class Executives

as Personnel Chief

1951
Koibito

as Manager