Kenji Sahara (佐原健二 ''Sahara Kenji'') (born 14 May 1932) is a Japanese actor. He was born in

Kawasaki City is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama, and the eighth most populated city in Japan (including ...

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

. His birth name is Masayoshi Kato (加藤正好 ''Katō Masayoshi''). Initially he used the name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it when he secured the lead role in ''

Rodan is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film '' Rodan'', produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numerous e ...

'' (1956).

Selected filmography

Sahara did a lot of work for the

Toho Company is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produce ...

, the studio that so far has produced 28 ''Godzilla'' movies. He appeared in more of the ''Godzilla'' series than any other actor. Also, he is the actor who was often relied on in most of the films by Directors Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya. He has appeared in many supporting roles. Sahara is famous as a mainstay of Toho special-effects movies and the ''Ultraman'' series. * '' Farewell Rabaul'' (1954) * ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...

'' (1954) – as Young Lover on the Sound * '' Yuki No Koi'' (1955) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) * ''

Seifuku No Otome Tachi The Japanese school uniform is modeled in appearance similar to that of the European-style naval uniforms. It was first used in Japan in the late 19th century, replacing the traditional kimono. Today, school uniforms are common in many of the ...

'' (1955) – as Hideya Fujiwara (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) * '' Aoi Me'' (1956) – as Jirô Hayashi (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) * ''

Street of Shame is a 1956 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It is the personal tales of several Japanese women of different backgrounds who work together in a brothel. It was Mizoguchi's last film. The film is based on the novel '' Su ...

'' (1956) * ''

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 ''kaiju'' film directed by Terry O. Morse and Ishirō Honda. It is a heavily re-edited American localization, commonly referred to as an "Americanization", of the 1954 Japanese film ''Godzilla (1954 film), Godzilla''. The film was a ...

'' (1956) – as Man on Boat * '' Norihei No Daigaku'' (1956) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) * '' People of Tokyo, Goodbye'' (1956) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) * ''

'' (1956) – as Shigeru Kawamura (credited as Kenji Sawara) * '' Yoru no kamome'' (1957) * '' Meshiro Sanpei monogatari'' (1957) – as Otsuka * ''

Zoku Sazae-san is a Sino-Japanese term meaning tribe, clan, or family. As a suffix it has been used extensively within Japan to define subcultural phenomena, though many zoku do not acquire the suffix (e.g. cosplay). A ''zoku'' may be labeled with a Japane ...

'' (1957) * ''

Hikage no musume is a Japanese shōjo manga series by Ema Tōyama. The series was serialized in the shōjo manga magazine, ''Nakayoshi''. The series ended with 5 volumes released by Kodansha under the imprint, ''Kodansha Comics''. It was announced in th ...

'' (1957) * ''

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'' (1957) – as Yamada * ''

The Mysterians is a 1957 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film begins with a giant fissure destroying an entire village. This leads to an investigation whereby the source is disc ...

'' (1957) – as Joji Atsumi * ''

Song for a Bride is a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda. Cast Release ''Song for a Bride'' was released on February 11, 1958. Reception In a retrospective review, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski declared the film "one of Honda's m ...

'' (1958) * ''

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'' (1958) * '' Kiuchi yasuto'' (1958) * ''

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'' (1958) * ''

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'' (1958) – as Dr. Masada * ''

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'' (1958) * '' Zokuzoku salaryman shussetai koki'' (1958) * '' Josei S.O.S.'' (1958) * '' Otona niwa wakaranai: Seishun hakusho'' (1958) * ''

Salaryman jikkai In Japan, a is a salaried worker. In Japanese popular culture, this is embodied by a white-collar worker who shows overriding loyalty and commitment to the corporation where he works. Salarymen are expected to work long hours, to put in addit ...

'' (1959) * ''

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'' (1959) * '' Gokigen musume'' (1959) *''

Mothra is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' ...

'' (1961) as Helicopter Pilot *''

Gorath is a 1962 Japanese epic science fiction disaster film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Based on an idea by Jojiro Okami, the film is about mankind's efforts to move Earth out of its orbit to prevent it from ...

'' (1962) as Saiki, Vice Captain of Ôtori *''

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'' (1962) as Kazuo Fujita *''

Matango is a 1963 Japanese horror film directed by Ishirō Honda. The film stars Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno and Kenji Sahara. It is partially based on William Hope Hodgson's short story "The Voice in the Night" and is about a group of castaways on an is ...

'' (1963) as Senzō Koyama *''

Atragon is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film produced and distributed by Toho. It is based on ''The Undersea Warship: A Fantastic Tale of Island Adventure'' by Shunrō Oshikawa and ''The Undersea Kingdom'' by Shigeru Komatsuzaki. The film ...

'' (1963) as Umino, Journalist/Mu Agent *'' Mothra vs. Godzilla'' (1964) as Jiro Torahata, a corrupt business tycoon *''

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'' (1964) *''

Frankenstein Conquers the World is a 1965 '' kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno and Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata as Frankenstein and Haruo Nakajima as Baragon. An international co-product ...

'' (1965) as a Soldier *''

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'' (1965) as Cpl. Fujimoto *'' War of the Gargantuas'' (1966) as Dr. Yuzo Majida *''

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'' (1967) as Morio *''

Destroy All Monsters is a 1968 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and features eleven monster ...

'' (1968) as Nishikawa, Moon Base Commander *'' All Monsters Attack'' (1969) as Kenichi Mitsuki *''

Space Amoeba is a 1970 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Ei Ogawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and Fumio Tanaka, with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa. Produced and distributed by Toho Studios, the film stars Akira Kubo ...

'' (1970) as Makoto Obata *''

Kage Gari is a 1969 jidaigeki manga series by Takao Saito. It follows the adventures of three ronin - Jubei (十兵衛), Sunlight (日光), and Moonlight (月光) - who dedicate their lives to hunt down "shadows", the ninja spies of the Tokugawa shog ...

Hoero Taihō'' (1972) *''

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'' (1974) as Ship Captain *''

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'' (1974) as Toshikazu Okaya *''

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'' (1975) as General Segawa *''

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'' (1991) as Minister Takayuki Segawa *'' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' (1993) as Minister Takayuki Segawa *'' Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla'' (1994) as Minister Takayuki Segawa *''

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'' (1998) as Tsukamoto, a sleazy and notorious ex-yakuza boss who is assassinated by the King of Killers at the beginning of the film *'' Godzilla: Final Wars'' (2004) as Hachiro Jinguji Sahara was also the lead in the first of the ''Ultra'' series,

Ultra Q is a tokusatsu science fiction kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films. Produced in black and white by Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadc ...

. He also appeared in a number of subsequent ''Ultra'' series, including: *''

'' (1966)- as Jun Manjoume *''

Ultra Seven is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the third installment in the Ultra Series and was produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 1, 19 ...

'' (1967–1968) - as Takenaka Jinguji *''

Return of Ultraman is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' science fiction television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions. The fourth entry in the Ultra series, the series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 2, 1971, to March 31, 1972. It became successful enou ...

'' (1971–1972) - as Takenaka Jinguji *''

Ultraman 80 is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System channel from April 2, 1980, to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. After going off the air in 1981, the network still aire ...

'' (1980–1981) - as Dr. Jono *''

Ultraman Nexus was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting (CBC), and Dentsu. It was the 18th entry in the Ultra Series. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System, including TBS, CBC, MBS, etc. The show ran from October 2, 2004 until Ju ...

'' (2004–2005) - as Togo *''

Ultraman Mebius is a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 20th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting Sys ...

'' (2006–2007) - as Takenaka Jinguji His latest Ultraman appearance was in the 2008 Ultraman movie, '' Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers''. He also made a cameo in episodes 47 and 48 of

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, being the voice of Dr. Atsumi.

References

External links

* * Biondi, Robert. Satoko Yoshimaru & Takahiko Mamiya (trans.) Winter 1997
"An Interview with Kenji Sahara: 40 Years of Keeping Godzilla at Bay"
Originally published in ''Kaiju Fan''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sahara, Kenji 1932 births Living people Japanese male film actors People from Kawasaki, Kanagawa