is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama and studied at the Theater Art College in Tokyo after graduating high school. He is best known to anime fans as the voice of Mewtwo. Ichimura is also the ex-husband of actress and singer Ryoko Shinohara.

Career

In 1973, he made his debut as an actor with ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

'' and became one of top actors of Shiki Theatre Company since then. He appeared in various musical plays as '' West Side Story'', ''

Equus Equus may refer to: * ''Equus'' (genus), a genus of animals including horses, donkeys and zebras * ''Equus'' (play), a play by Peter Shaffer * ''Equus'' (film), a film adaptation of the Peter Shaffer play * Equus (comics), a comic book characte ...

'', ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

'', '' Evita'' and '' The Phantom of the Opera''. Besides he played the role of

Shylock Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the ...

of '' The Merchant of Venice''. In 1990, he left the company and now signs up for Horipro. In 2013, he played the role of Tokugawa Ieyasu in "Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai" in London. In 2014, he cancelled the performance in '' Miss Saigon'' because of initial

stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymph ...

but in November of the year, he finished the treatment and returned to the theatre industry.

Personal life

He married Japanese actress Mami Yaezawa in 1984, but later divorced in 2003. In December 2005, he remarried singer and actress Ryoko Shinohara. They have two sons, born in 2008 and 2012. On July 24, 2021, Masachika and Ryoko announced their divorce through their office. He took custody of two sons.

Filmography

Films

*''

The Hotel Venus ''The Hotel Venus'' ( ko, 호텔 금성, ja, ホテルビーナス) is a 2004 Korean-language Japanese drama film directed by Hideta Takahata. It was released on March 6, 2004 in Tokyo, Japan, and in South Korea on September 10, 2004. At the Ca ...

'' (2004) - Venus *'' Thirteen Assassins'' (2010) - Kitō Hanbei *''

A Ghost of a Chance , also known as ''Once In a Blue Moon'' in Japan, is a 2011 Japanese comedy mystery film directed by Kōki Mitani. Plot Emi Hosho, a third-rate lawyer without much of a future, is tasked with defending Goro Yabe, a man arrested for the murder of ...

'' (2011) - Tsukutsuku Abe *'' The Floating Castle'' (2012) - Toyotomi Hideyoshi *''

For Love's Sake is a 2012 Japanese musical romance film directed by Takashi Miike based on the manga series '' Ai to Makoto'' by Ikki Kajiwara and Takumi Nagayasu. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2012, where it was presented out of competi ...

'' (2012) - Shōgo Saotome *'' Thermae Romae'' (2012) -

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

*'' Thermae Romae 2'' (2014) - Hadrian *'' The Kodai Family'' (2016) - Shigemasa Kōdai Jr. *''The Stand-In Thief'' (2017) *'' Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai'' (2021) - Honda Kakuan *''And So the Baton Is Passed'' (2021) *''Daughter of Lupin the Movie'' (2021)

Television dramas

*''Shishi no Jidai'' (1980) - Okonogi Kyōhei *'' Furuhata Ninzaburō'' (1999) - Nao Kuroikawa *''HR'' (2002) - Masachika Jin'no *''Mayonaka no Andersen'' (2002) *''

Suna no Utsuwa is a 2004 Japanese television drama series. It is based on a Japanese novel '' Suna no Utsuwa''. Cast * Masahiro Nakai * Ken Watanabe * Yasuko Matsuyuki * Shinji Takeda * Masaru Nagai * Kotomi Kyono * Yoko Moriguchi * Hidekazu Akai * Masachika I ...

'' (2004) - Yuzuru Asō *'' Order Made'' (2004) *'' My Boss My Hero'' (2006) - Kichi Sakaki *'' Bambino!'' (2007) - Tekkan Shishido *''Hatachi no Koibito'' (2007) - Fūta Suzuki *'' Gō'' (2011) - Akechi Mitsuhide *'' Young Black Jack'' (2011) - Dr. Jotaro Honma *''

Beppinsan is a Japanese television drama series and the 95th asadora series, following '' Toto Neechan''. It was premiered on October 3, 2016, and ended on April 1, 2017. Plot Sumire (Kyoko Yoshine) was born as the second child from a wealthy family. S ...

'' (2016) - Shigeo Asada *''Ieyasu, Edo wo Tateru'' (2019) - Tokugawa Ieyasu *''Everyone's Demoted'' (2019) - Hideki Fujita *'' Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon (2019)'' - Nicholas Tange *''Nakamura Nakazo: Shusse no Kizahashi'' (2021) -

Ichikawa Danjūrō IV may refer to: Places * Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan ** Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan * Ichik ...

Musicals

*''

'' - King Herod *'' West Side Story'' - Bernardo *''

'' - Alan *'' A Chorus Line'' - Paul *''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' - Jigger Craigin *'' She Loves Me'' - Georg Nowack *''

'' - Rum Tum Tugger *'' The Phantom of the Opera'' -

Erik, The Phantom of the Opera Erik (also known as the Phantom of the Opera, commonly referred to as the Phantom) is the title character from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel ''Le Fantôme de l'Opéra'', best known to English speakers as '' The Phantom of the Opera''. The charact ...

*''

Tanz der Vampire ''Dance of the Vampires'' is a musical remake of the 1967 Roman Polanski film of the same name (known as ''The Fearless Vampire Killers'' in the USA). Polanski also directed this musical’s original German-language production (titled ). The mus ...

'' - Professor Abronsius *'' Miss Saigon'' - The Engineer *''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'' - Dr. Pangloss/the narrator Voltaire *''

Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tent ...

'' - Thurio *''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' - Tevye *'' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' - Snoopy *'' Evita'' - Che *'' Never on Sunday'' - Ilya *'' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' - Molina *'' Cyrano: The Musical'' - Cyrano de Bergerac *'' Scrooge'' - Scrooge *'' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' - Freddy Benson *'' Sweeney Todd'' - Sweeney Todd *'' La Cage aux Folles'' - Albin/Zaza *'' Love Never Dies'' - Erik, the Phantom of the Opera *'' Oliver'' - Fagin *'' Mozart!'' - Leopold

Plays

*'' The Merchant of Venice'' -

*'' Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai'' - Tokugawa Ieyasu * Yukio Ninagawa's

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

Theatrical animation

*'' Jack and the Beanstalk'' (1974) - Jack *''

A Journey Through Fairyland is a 1985 Japanese animated film by Sanrio, the company which animated ''Unico'', ''The Sea Prince and the Fire Child'' and ''Ringing Bell'', though this story is less sought out as a rarity among Sanrio cult classic collectors. It is also Sanr ...

'' (1985) - Michael *'' Pokémon: The First Movie'' (1998) - Mewtwo *'' Giovanni's Island'' (2014) - Tatsuo Senō *'' Doraemon: Nobita's Space Heroes'' (2015) - Ikaros *'' Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution'' (2019) - Mewtwo *''Birthday Wonderland'' (2019) - Hippocrates

Television animation

*'' Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns'' (2000) - Mewtwo *''

Pocket Monsters A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...

'' (2020) - Mewtwo

Original video animation (OVA)

*'' Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children'' (2005) - Red XIII

Video games

*''

Super Smash Bros. Melee ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...

'' (2001) - Mewtwo *''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...

'' (2002) - Jack Skellington *'' Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' (2004) - Jack Skellington *''

Kingdom Hearts II is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hearts (video game), King ...

'' (2005) - Jack Skellington *'' Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask'' (2011) - Bronev Reinel *'' One Piece: Unlimited World Red'' (2013) - Patrick Redfield *'' Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy'' (2013) - Bronev Reinel *'' Nioh'' (2017) - Tokugawa Ieyasu

Dubbing

*'' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993) - Jack Skellington *''

Strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

'' (2004) - Kahro *'' The Man Who Invented Christmas'' (2018) -

Ebenezer Scrooge Ebenezer Scrooge () is the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. The tale of his redemption by three spirits (the Ghost of ...

*'' Minions: The Rise of Gru'' (2022) - Wild Knuckles

Puppetry

*''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' (2014) - Jonathan Small

Honors

* Medal with Purple Ribbon (2007) * Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2019)

References

External links

* *
Masachika Ichimura
at GamePlaza-Haruka Voice Acting Database
Masachika Ichimura
at Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Ichimura, Masachika 1949 births Japanese male stage actors Japanese male voice actors Living people Japanese male musical theatre actors Japanese male film actors Japanese male television actors Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class People from Kawagoe, Saitama Actors from Saitama Prefecture