# Unshō Ishizuka (石塚運昇)
**Unshō Ishizuka** (石塚運昇; 16 May 1951 – 13 August 2018) was a Japanese voice actor, actor, narrator, and director whose deep, gravelly voice was heard as [Professor Oak](https://www.edgepedia.org/professor-oak) in the *Pokémon* anime, [Jet Black](https://www.edgepedia.org/jet-black) in *Cowboy Bebop*, Kizaru in *One Piece*, and Joseph Joestar in *[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders](https://www.edgepedia.org/jojos-bizarre-adventure-stardust-crusaders)*, and in the Japanese dubbing of many Hollywood stars. His real name used the same kanji read Yukinori (ゆきのり), while his professional name was read Unshō (うんしょう).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951, Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture[1](https://www.allcinema.net/person/119050) • [2](https://anibase.net/ja/people/mPoBr/%E7%9F%B3%E5%A1%9A%E9%81%8B%E6%98%87) |
| Died | 13 August 2018, of esophageal cancer, age 67 by one account and 68 by another[3](https://www.cinra.net/news/20180817-ishizukaunsho) • [4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/) |
| Signature roles | Professor Oak and narration, *Pocket Monsters* series; Jet Black, *Cowboy Bebop*; Kizaru (Borsalino), *One Piece*; Joseph Joestar, *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders*[5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html) |
| Pokémon film narration | Narrated every theatrical *Pokémon* film from the first (1998) through the 22nd, *Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution* (2019), recorded by presco before his death, for a streak of 22 consecutive films[4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/) |
| Dub voices | Liam Neeson (Brian Mills in the *96 Hours* series), Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor in *Superman Returns*, Francis Underwood in *House of Cards*), Jean Reno, and Horatio Caine (David Caruso) in *CSI: Miami*[5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html) • [6](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/kashu-kaiken-news/3831196/) |
| Stage background | Member of the Shakespeare Theatre from 1975 to 1988; also trained with the troupe 薔薇座 (Bara-za)[7](https://www.ginei.jp/interview20.php) • [8](https://www.seiyu-target.com/entry/ishizukayukinori) |
## Life and stage training
Ishizuka was born in Katsuyama, Fukui Prefecture, in 1951[1](https://www.allcinema.net/person/119050). In high school he was on the mountaineering club and competed at the national high school athletics meet (Inter-High); in his second year, his first acting in front of an audience, at the school's farewell party, awakened his ambition to become an actor[2](https://anibase.net/ja/people/mPoBr/%E7%9F%B3%E5%A1%9A%E9%81%8B%E6%98%87). After graduation he went to Tokyo and worked as a stage actor, joining the troupe 薔薇座 and then the Shakespeare Theatre, where he remained from 1975 to 1988[7](https://www.ginei.jp/interview20.php) • [8](https://www.seiyu-target.com/entry/ishizukayukinori).
His move into voice work came through commercial narration.
## Animation career
**From dubbing to anime.** For some years Ishizuka's work centered on dubbing, commercials, and narration, and he said he had little serious interest in anime[9](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1519296034). That changed with the OVA *Macross Plus* (1994–1995), in which he voiced Guld Goa Bowman for director Shōji Kawamori; after the theatrical *Macross Plus* film was completed he said he felt the craft of Japanese live-action film had carried over into the anime studio, and anime work became a mainstay[9](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1519296034).
**Pokémon.** From the start of the *Pocket Monsters* television anime in 1997 he voiced Professor Oak, provided the series narration, and voiced many Pokémon; the *CINRA* obituary lists these roles among those for which he was best known[3](https://www.cinra.net/news/20180817-ishizukaunsho) • [5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html). He narrated every theatrical Pokémon film from the first in 1998 through the 22nd, *Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution* (2019), which he recorded by the presco method of recording dialogue and music in advance; the narration streak of 22 films ended with the 23rd film, *Secrets of the Jungle* (2020), where Ken'yū Horiuchi took over both the narration and Professor Oak[4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/).
**Other leading roles.** His Aoni Production profile lists Jet Black in *Cowboy Bebop* (1998), Kizaru (Borsalino) in *One Piece*, Joseph Joestar in *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders*, Mister Satan in *Dragon Ball Super*, Van Hohenheim in *Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood*, Sergei Smirnov in *Mobile Suit Gundam 00*, Taoka in *Slam Dunk*, Shishio Kōsaku in *Kenichi*, Zabuza Momochi in *Naruto*, Bunta Fujiwara in *Initial D*, and Job Trunicht in *Legend of the Galactic Heroes*[5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html). His last year of work included Mercatz in *Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These*, Cain Ibrahim Hassan in *Kakushigoto*-production *Jūshinki Pandora* (2018), and Dino F. Golzine in *BANANA FISH* (2018)[10](https://animeanime.jp/article/2018/08/17/39518.html).
## Dubbing work
Ishizuka was a fixture of Japanese dubbing for Hollywood film and television. He was the regular Japanese voice of [Liam Neeson](https://www.edgepedia.org/liam-neeson) (Brian Mills in the *96 Hours* / *Taken* series and Bill Marks in *Flight Game*), Kevin Spacey ([Lex Luthor](https://www.edgepedia.org/lex-luthor) in *Superman Returns*, Francis Underwood in *House of Cards*), Laurence Fishburne (Brussels station chief in *Mission: Impossible III*, Perry White in *Man of Steel*), and [David Caruso](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-caruso)'s Horatio Caine across the *CSI: Miami* series; his listed credits also include Jean Reno in *The Da Vinci Code*, Robert Redford in *The Company You Keep*, Bill Paxton in *Titanic*, and the Fairy Godmother's Prince Charming in the *Shrek* series[5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html) • [6](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/kashu-kaiken-news/3831196/). He also narrated extensively on Japanese television, including *News Station* and *Hōdō Station* on TV Asahi and *Shin Doko Gaishō* on NTV[5](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html).
## Voice and style
The *One Piece* Kizaru role drew on his theatrical training: his own account of playing Job Trunicht in *Legend of the Galactic Heroes*, his first major anime role with long speech-like dialogue, credits his years of Shakespeare performance, including political plays with speeches and his Edmund in *King Lear*, for making such parts manageable[7](https://www.ginei.jp/interview20.php). Comments on the Kizaru successor note that the distinctive husky noise, or rasp, in his voice helped produce the character's oily, unsettling middle-aged quality[11](https://reconstruction-of-knowledge.com/kizaru-voice-actor/).
## Teaching and final years
Ishizuka ran the 石塚運昇 Reading Company, which taught reading and narration and staged reading plays by its participants, drawing on his stage and voice-acting experience for direction and acting instruction[8](https://www.seiyu-target.com/entry/ishizukayukinori).
He died of esophageal cancer on 13 August 2018, announced by Aoni Production on 17 August[3](https://www.cinra.net/news/20180817-ishizukaunsho). Reports of his age at death differ: *CINRA* stated he was 67, while *Oricon* and *Anime!Anime!* stated 68[3](https://www.cinra.net/news/20180817-ishizukaunsho) • [4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/) • [10](https://animeanime.jp/article/2018/08/17/39518.html).
## Succession of his roles
Several of his long-running characters passed to established voice actors after his death[12](https://vault.learnlife.com/suzukiaoi-channel-outlook/3197452/):
| Role | Series | Successor | Reported handover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Oak and narration | *Pocket Monsters* | Ken'yū Horiuchi | October 2018, from *Sun & [Moon](https://www.edgepedia.org/moon-2009-film)* episode 93; also took over film narration from the 23rd film[12](https://vault.learnlife.com/suzukiaoi-channel-outlook/3197452/) • [4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/) |
| Kizaru (Borsalino) | *One Piece* | Ryōtarō Okiayu | From episode 881, May 2019[12](https://vault.learnlife.com/suzukiaoi-channel-outlook/3197452/) |
| Jet Black | *Cowboy Bebop* | Tenten Kubota's listed successor: Taiten Kusunoki | In dubbing and game work; the Netflix live-action dub (2021)[13](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/joyuu-jiken-news/3690796/) |
| Mister Satan | *Dragon Ball* series | Hirokazu Egawa (江川央生) | Games and specials from 2018[12](https://vault.learnlife.com/suzukiaoi-channel-outlook/3197452/) |
| Ryōtarō Dōjima | *Persona 4* series | Kazuhiro Yamaji | Game-related titles[13](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/joyuu-jiken-news/3690796/) |
His posthumous appearances include *Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution* (2019, presco) and *Sayonara, Tyranno* (2021), the latter a dub recorded before his death; *BANANA FISH* displayed a tribute message to him in its final episode's ending[4](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/) • [14](https://w.atwiki.jp/aniwotawiki/pages/15100.html).
## References
1. [石塚運昇, allcinema](https://www.allcinema.net/person/119050)
2. [石塚運昇, Anibase.Net](https://anibase.net/ja/people/mPoBr/%E7%9F%B3%E5%A1%9A%E9%81%8B%E6%98%87)
3. [石塚運昇が逝去、67歳, CINRA (17 August 2018)](https://www.cinra.net/news/20180817-ishizukaunsho)
4. [故・石塚運昇さん、映画『ポケモン』ナレーション出演せず 連続出演記録22で途切れる, ORICON NEWS (28 February 2020)](https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2156376/)
5. [石塚 運昇, 青二プロダクション](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/ishizuka-unsho.html)
6. [声優・石塚運昇の軌跡と代表作, redmine.motorsport.unibo.it](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/kashu-kaiken-news/3831196/)
7. [銀河英雄伝説 ON THE WEB インタビュー 第20回 石塚運昇](https://www.ginei.jp/interview20.php)
8. [声優「石塚運昇さん」に関して、とことん分析して書き尽くしてみた！, 声優ターゲット (2018)](https://www.seiyu-target.com/entry/ishizukayukinori)
9. [『重神機パンドーラ』石塚運昇さんインタビュー, アニメイトタイムズ (2018)](https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1519296034)
10. [声優・石塚運昇さん死去 所属事務所が明らかに, アニメ！アニメ！(17 August 2018)](https://animeanime.jp/article/2018/08/17/39518.html)
11. [黄猿声優「似てない」「違和感がある」と言われる本当の理由, reconstruction-of-knowledge.com](https://reconstruction-of-knowledge.com/kizaru-voice-actor/)
12. [「運昇さん」が遺した声の記憶｜死因の真相と後任キャストの今, vault.learnlife.com](https://vault.learnlife.com/suzukiaoi-channel-outlook/3197452/)
13. [石塚運昇の偉大な足跡｜オーキド博士・黄猿に宿る魂と後任声優の現在, redmine.motorsport.unibo.it](https://redmine.motorsport.unibo.it/joyuu-jiken-news/3690796/)
14. [石塚運昇, アニヲタWiki(仮) atwiki](https://w.atwiki.jp/aniwotawiki/pages/15100.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › Japanese voice performers › Surnames symbols to M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license