is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in

Kawagoe, Saitama is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 353,214 in 162,210 households and a population density of 3200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The city is known locally as after the old name fo ...

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 Ryōko or Ryouko is a Japanese female given name. The meanings of Ryoko vary depending on which Kanji is used to write the name. Possible writings * 涼子 – "refreshing, child" * 亮子 – "helpful, child" * 良子 – "good, child" * 諒子 ...

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 ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid- ...

'', '' Equus'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Evita'' and ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...

''. 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 ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as a ...

''. In 1990, he left the company and now signs up for

Horipro is a large Japanese talent agency. History It was founded in 1960 as Hori Productions (ホリプロダクション ''Hori Purodakushon'') and changed to its present name in 1990. Horipro has two locations in the United States: Nashville and ...

. In 2013, he played the role of

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

in "Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai" in London. In 2014, he cancelled the performance in ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madame Butterfly'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed rom ...

'' 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. Lymp ...

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

. 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'' (2004) - Venus *'' Thirteen Assassins'' (2010) - Kitō Hanbei *'' A Ghost of a Chance'' (2011) - Tsukutsuku Abe *'' The Floating Castle'' (2012) -

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' ( feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cou ...

*'' For Love's Sake'' (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 ...

*'' 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 is a Japanese television series that ran periodically on Fuji Television from 1994 until its final episodes (specials) in 2006. It was written by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani and is often referred to as the Japanese version of '' Columbo'' ...

'' (1999) - Nao Kuroikawa *''HR'' (2002) - Masachika Jin'no *''Mayonaka no Andersen'' (2002) *'' Suna no Utsuwa'' (2004) - Yuzuru Asō *'' Order Made'' (2004) *''

My Boss My Hero is a Japanese television drama broadcast by Nippon Television (NTV). It is a remake of the South Korean movie of My Boss, My Hero, It aired in Japan during the summer of 2006. Synopsis The show is about , also known as "Tornado", a 27-year-o ...

'' (2006) - Kichi Sakaki *''

Bambino! is a Japanese cooking manga written and illustrated by Tetsuji Sekiya. The manga has been serialized in Shogakukan's seinen magazine (aimed at older men) '' Big Comic Spirits''. As of February 2009, Shogakukan has published 14 ''tankōbon' ...

'' (2007) - Tekkan Shishido *''Hatachi no Koibito'' (2007) - Fūta Suzuki *'' Gō'' (2011) -

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide was a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later a successful general under ...

*''

Young Black Jack is a Japanese manga series written by Yoshiaki Tabata and illustrated by Yūgo Ōkuma. It is based on '' Black Jack'' by Osamu Tezuka and serves as its prequel. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's ''Young Champion'' magazine between November ...

'' (2011) - Dr. Jotaro Honma *'' Beppinsan'' (2016) - Shigeo Asada *''Ieyasu, Edo wo Tateru'' (2019) -

*''Everyone's Demoted'' (2019) - Hideki Fujita *'' Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon (2019)'' - Nicholas Tange *''Nakamura Nakazo: Shusse no Kizahashi'' (2021) - Ichikawa Danjūrō IV

Musicals

*''

'' - King Herod *''

'' - Bernardo *'' Equus'' - Alan *''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dance ...

'' - Paul *''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...

'' - Jigger Craigin *''

She Loves Me ''She Loves Me'' is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The musical is the third adaptation of the 1937 play '' Parfumerie'' by Hungarian playwright Miklós László, following the 1940 f ...

'' - Georg Nowack *''

'' - Rum Tum Tugger *''

'' - Erik, The Phantom of the Opera *'' Tanz der Vampire'' - Professor Abronsius *''

'' - 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, T ...

'' - Dr. Pangloss/the narrator

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his '' nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity— ...

*''

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 D ...

'' - Tevye *''

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The music ...

'' -

Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...

*'' Evita'' - Che *''

Never on Sunday ''Never on Sunday'' ( el, Ποτέ την Κυριακή, ) is a 1960 Greek romantic comedy film starring, written by and directed by Jules Dassin. The film tells the story of Ilya, a Greek prostitute (Melina Mercouri), and Homer (Dassin), an ...

'' - Ilya *'' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' - Molina *'' Cyrano: The Musical'' -

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

*'' Scrooge'' - Scrooge *'' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' - Freddy Benson *''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet Stre ...

'' -

*'' La Cage aux Folles'' - Albin/Zaza *'' Love Never Dies'' - Erik, the Phantom of the Opera *'' Oliver'' - Fagin *''

Mozart! ''Mozart!'' is an Austrian musical, originally written in German. The original book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze and the music and arrangements were composed by Sylvester Levay. The show is a new imagining of the struggles of the fa ...

'' -

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist ...

Plays

*''

'' -

*'' Anjin: The Shogun and The English Samurai'' -

* 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 ...

Theatrical animation

*''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Col ...

'' (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 is a 2014 Japanese animated historical drama film directed by Mizuho Nishikubo and produced by Production I.G and co-produced and presented by the Japan Association of Music Enterprises. The film was released on February 22, 2014, in Japan an ...

'' (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'' (2020) - Mewtwo

Original video animation (OVA)

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

Red XIII ''Final Fantasy VII'', a role-playing video game developed by Square (now Square Enix) and originally released in 1997, features many fictional characters in both major and minor roles. ''VII'' has been followed by multiple sequels and prequels, ...

Video games

*'' Super Smash Bros. Melee'' (2001) - Mewtwo *''

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

'' (2002) -

Jack Skellington Jack Skellington is a character and the main protagonist of the 1993 film ''The Nightmare Before Christmas''. He is a Living Skeleton who is the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, a fantasy world based solely on the Halloween holiday. Jack is voiced ...

*'' 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 ''Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask'' is a puzzle adventure video game developed by Level-5. It is the fifth game in the ''Professor Layton'' series, the second in the prequel trilogy of games, and the first in the series to be developed fo ...

'' (2011) - Bronev Reinel *'' One Piece: Unlimited World Red'' (2013) - Patrick Redfield *'' Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy'' (2013) - Bronev Reinel *''

Nioh is an action role-playing video game developed by Team Ninja. It was released for PlayStation 4 in February 2017, and was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment internationally, and by Koei Tecmo in Japan. An edition for PlayStation 4 ...

'' (2017) -

Dubbing

*''

The Nightmare Before Christmas ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (also known as ''Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas'') is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film directed by Henry Selick (in his feature directorial debut) and produced and ...

'' (1993) -

*'' Strings'' (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 o ...

*'' 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