Biography
Hiroya Ishimaru (石丸 博也), born Shinji Ishide (石出 伸二) on 12 February 1941 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese voice actor, actor and narrator. He trained initially with the Himawari Theatre Company after leaving university studies and began voice work in the 1960s.
He is best known for voicing Kouji Kabuto in the 1972 series Mazinger Z and its many sequels and adaptations, and for providing the Japanese dub voice for Jackie Chan in numerous films over more than four decades. Other notable roles include Apachai Hopachai in Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (2006), Yasuo in Tokyo Godfathers (2003), and Kozuki Oden in One Piece (2021). Ishimaru announced his retirement from voice acting in 2023.
