Midori Katō

is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and narrator
who is most famous for the role of Sazae Fuguta from the long-running family anime ''Sazae-san''. She is also known for voicing Yoshiko in '' Sally the Witch'' and Osomatsu Matsuno in '' Osomatsu-kun'' (1966).

Biography

Early life and career

Midori Katō was born on 15 November 1939 in Tokyo Prefecture, which would later become Tokyo Metropolis four years after her birth, in the Empire of Japan.『週刊文春』2009年1月29日号、pp.134-138 She was educated at in Suginami ward and
, the now-defunct school of the troupe.Profile
at Kouenkai Info She originally wanted to be an actress in '' shinpa'', but she was unable to perform any of the required arts, and she expected that it would change if it was taught at a low price. Several of the students she was in the same graduating class with included actresses Chieko Baisho and .

In 1959, the Japanese national broadcasting organization NHK was recruiting ''tarento'' for television, and Katō subsequently moved the NHK's actor training school. The following year in April 1960, she made her broadcast debut in NHK's ''Tenshi no Heya'', and in the same year, she was also the founder of a theatrical troupe called "Sanju Jinkai". She was also a member of three voice acting offices: the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, and Sigma Seven.

After the expiration of her three-year priority contract with NHK, Katō met a producer at Toei Doga (later Toei Animation) and started her career as a voice actor in anime television. She voiced the titular character of '' Osomatsu-kun'', Yoshiko Hanamura in '' Sally the Witch'', and Kan-chan in '' The Genie Family''. She also performed the song in a commercial for Meiji Milk Chocolate (a chocolate bar manufactured by Meiji Dairies) that is best known for the ''Chocolate wa Meiji'' phrase.

''Sazae-san''

In 1968, Katō was cast as the titular character of ''Sazae-san'', Sazae Fuguta. She participated at the audition with the intent to audition for another character, Katsuo Isono, and wanted to voice him and Sazae, but it was vetoed. She was asked to step down from all other anime work, and no longer played any anime characters other than Sazae. Although the series is now long-running, Katō would later recall in 2009 that she initially thought it would last only three months.

For about 10 years since the broadcast started, Katō played freely and '' ad libitum'', but later decided to use scripts after self-reflecting that the scriptwriters are not actors if they are not writing every word. This was because Kazue Takahashi, who was the second voice actor of Katsuo, was able to do his words perfectly without being affected by Kato's ''ad libitum'' acting.

During the fifteenth anniversary of ''Sazae-san'' around 1984, Katō had an opportunity to meet the writer of the original ''Sazae-san'' manga, Machiko Hasegawa. Katō told Hasegawa, "''Sensei'', ''watashi'', this year, it's just bad", and Hasegawa told her, "I'm sure there's something good to come". This was the only time Katō ever met Hasegawa before the latter's death on 27 May 1992.

In 2009, Katō and her ''Sazae-san'' co-star Ichirō Nagai made brief cameo appearances in the fourth live-action adaptation of ''Sazae-san'', Katō appearing as a female employee. Katō told Oricon Style that she had not appeared in drama for the past 45 years and felt nervous during her appearance.

She was invited to the held on 25 October 2012, where she exchanged words with then-Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Kato introduced herself as "Sazae", believing that she would be recognized with just the nameplate, and the Emperor and Empress responded with a smile. After the Crown Prince Naruhito and his younger brother the Prince Akishino said that they were watching ''Sazae-san'', Kato said "Dad, mom, I'm thrilled, I don't want to go home anymore. Officials from the Imperial Household Agency reported that Aiko, Princess Toshi was able to recognize Katō's voice as Sazae's.アニメ好き愛子様　声優の「サザエでございま～す」聞かれる
Josei Seven

In 2013 Guinness World Records recognized ''Sazae-san'' as the longest running animated series, surpassing ''The Simpsons'' which went on air in 1989. On 6 October 2019, Katō and fellow ''Sazae-san'' voice actor Takako Sasuga were recognized by Guinness World Records in the category of "longest career as a voice actor for the same character in an animated television series", having at that point voiced their characters for 50 years and 1 day.

Other work

In 1989, Katō began performing on her own stage, receiving a request from a producer of a television station who watched the stage.

Katō was also the narrator of ''Makeover! Dramatic Before & After'', a documentary series which aired on TV Asahi.実写版『サザエさん』に“サザエ”声優・加藤みどりが45年ぶりにドラマ出演！ 波平役の永井一郎も
Oricon Style The series' selection in the 2003 "New Word / Buzzword Awards" earned her an appearance at an award ceremony there.

Katō was awarded the 45th Anniversary Special Prize by the in 2015.

Filmography

Anime

*'' Shōnen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru'' (1964) - Midori, Mika
*'' Osomatsu-kun (1966)'' - Osomatsu-kun (episodes 1 and 2)
*'' Sally the Witch'' (1966) - Yoshiko Hanamura, Ultra Bā-san
*''Tobidase! Bacchiri'' (1966) - Benmatsu
*''Kaminaribō ya Pikkari Bi'' (1967) - Pontarō
*''Pyunpyunmaru'' (1967) - Chibimaru
*'' Dokachin the Primitive Boy'' (1968) - Pak
*''Fight Da!! Pyūta'' (1968)
*''Yuuyake Banchō'' (1968) - Chuji Akagi
*''Sazae-san'' (1969) - Sazae FugutaProfile
at GamePlaza~HARUKA
*''Hakushon Daimaou'' (1969) - Kan-chan
*''Mōretsu Atarō'' (1969) - Dekoppachi,
*''Itazura Tenshi Chippo-chan'' (1970)

TV drama

*''Fushigi'na Pack'' (1960, voice)
*''Oyako'' (1960)
*''Tenshi no heya'' (1960), Yōko Harada
*''Nōfu arite'' (1961)
*''Speed Jidai'' episode 1 "Speed no miryoku" (1963)
*''Tegami no Onna'' (1963)
*''Docchi ga docchi'' (1972)
*'' Wild 7'' (1972-1973, episodes 1, 2, 3 and 9)
*''Ganbare!! Robocon'' (1974-1976) - Mama/Shoko Oyama
*''Dakara Seishun: Naki Mushikōshien'' (1983)
*''Nihon no On'na Series II: Haru no Kage'' (1981)
*''Watashi no Kawaii Hito'' (1986)
*''Sazae-san'' (2009) - Namihei's co-worker

Puppetry

*''Uriko Himeko: Nippon Mukashibanashi'' (1978, voice)''
*''Ōsama no Mimi wa Roba no Mimi: Girisha Shinwa yori'' (1999, voice)

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kato, Midori
1939 births
Living people
Japanese video game actresses
Japanese voice actresses
People from Suginami
Sigma Seven voice actors
Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society voice actors
Voice actresses from Tokyo
20th-century Japanese actresses
21st-century Japanese actresses