Biography
Hisaya Morishige (1913–2009) was a Japanese actor and comedian. Born in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, he attended Waseda University and began his career as a stage actor before working as an announcer for NHK in Manchukuo during the Second World War.
He rose to prominence in the 1950s with comedy roles in Toho film series such as the Company President (Shacho) and Station Front (Ekimae) films, while also appearing in dramatic parts. He featured in nearly 250 films across contemporary and jidaigeki genres, including The End of Summer (1961) and Chûshingura (1962). On stage he was noted for playing Tevye in the Japanese production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Morishige provided voices for animated films, including multiple characters in The Tale of the White Serpent (1958) and the boar god Okkoto-nusi in Princess Mononoke (1997). He was the first guest on the television talk show Tetsuko's Room in 1975 and served as long-time head of the Japan Actors Union. He received the Order of Culture in 1991.
