{"id":44444,"date":"2025-06-25T18:21:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T01:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=44444"},"modified":"2026-07-15T23:11:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T06:11:32","slug":"kurikuritomiyama383","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/kurikuritomiyama383\/","title":{"rendered":"Kuri Kuri<\/em> newspaper, March 31 1983"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri<\/em> Interview<\/h3>\n

Goodbye, Susumu Kodai<\/h2>\n

Yamato<\/em> and 10 years<\/p>\n

Kei Tomiyama<\/h2>\n

I thought this would be the last time, so tears started to well up during the voice recording<\/h3>\n

The completion of Space Battleship Yamato, The Final Chapter<\/em>, which had been delayed for so long, is finally here. This week’s guest is Kei Tomiyama, who has voiced the main character, Susumu Kodai, throughout the 10-year run of the series. As the series is coming to an end, both Mr. Tomiyama, and the interviewers \u2013 the Kuri-yomi team \u2013 were visibly moved. “It\u2019s really sad that we won\u2019t be able to see Susumu Kodai, as voiced by Mr. Tomiyama, anymore.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Memo: Kei Tomiyama<\/em><\/p>\n

His real name is Kunichica Tomiyama. He was born on October 31, 1938 in Northeastern China, formerly Manchuria. He returned to Japan from China and moved to Tokyo when he was in elementary school. In junior high, he joined the drama club, and in high school he joined the Tokyo Children\u2019s Theater company. After dropping out of Nihon University College of art, he continued his theatrical activities and appeared in many films and stage productions. Later, he began working mainly as a voice actor, and has appeared in many anime, such as Saburo and Ichi\u2019s Detective Stories, One Man, a Little Boss, Space Battleship Yamato, Candy Candy<\/em>, and The Adventures of Marco Polo<\/em>. His role as Susumu Kodai in Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> was particularly representative of his work, lasting for ten years, including television. And he is one of the key figures who ignited the anime boom.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Space Battleship Yamato, The Final Chapter<\/em> opens today, but how was it creating the character of Susumu Kodai for this role?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> This year marks my tenth year working on Yamato<\/em>, and I still think the very first part was the best. The stories were always so intense, and Kodai was such a fascinating character. Part 1 was my favorite. And this final installment is even closer to Part 1. The storyline and Kodai’s personality are both very similar. So it was the easiest role to play, and I was very happy to return to the most ideal version of Kodai.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Since this is The Final Chapter<\/em>, I think there will be many emotionally-charged moments.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> Ten years is a really long time isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s a great blessing to be able to play the same character for ten years straight. When I thought that this was really the end, I felt a little sad. But, well, everything that begins must end. <\/p>\n

There were various opinions, such as, “Wouldn\u2019t it be better to just end it?” Or “why are you making another one?” There were voices like that, and if we were going to make a final installment, we felt that it would be meaningless unless we made something worthwhile. Not just the staff, but we [actors] also wanted to make a work that would make everyone say, “I\u2019m glad you made a final chapter.” <\/p>\n

For that reason, this voice recording session was the culmination of ten years of voice recording, and everyone was naturally nervous, but there was a palpable atmosphere of wanting to create the best possible result.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> I\u2019m really looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> Yeah, I really hope you\u2019ll come and enjoy it. I think the artwork is fantastic this time around. There might be some hastily made pieces at the beginning, though. So it\u2019s probably best to see it as late as possible. (Laughs) I heard that they\u2019re gradually replacing the artwork as they create better pieces.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Oh, I haven\u2019t heard that.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s how I heard it. I don\u2019t know if they actually do it that way, though. I\u2019m just overwhelmed with emotion. It\u2019s sad to think that this is the last time we’ll see Kodai-kun. Up until now, it felt like it was just ending somehow. It ended in a way that left you wondering, or rather, it felt like there was more to come. (Laughs) But this time, Yamato<\/em> self-destructs. I suppose it wouldn\u2019t be impossible to make a sequel about Kodai, if you really tried, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s possible. This is truly the Final Chapter.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s so lonely.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> I think this is one of the most memorable characters in my voice acting career, and it will always remain in my heart.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Which scene from the upcoming final chapter will be the most memorable for you?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> There\u2019s really no other choice. The scene where Captain Okita is alone on Yamato<\/em> and all the crew members say goodbye. Of course, we redid the voiceover many times, but I got really got into it, and tears actually started to flow, and I cried. This scene was really moving. I think everyone will cry at that part. I\u2019m sure they will. Kodai-kun in particular couldn\u2019t stop crying. It all came flooding out. I was practically screaming “father!” in my heart. Of course I cried.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Because the Yamato<\/em> series continued for so long, the staff and cast all knew each other, and I\u2019m sure the atmosphere during the voice recording sessions was very friendly.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> That\u2019s right. There were some people I could only meet through Yamato<\/em>. Most of the others were people who work in this industry, so I met them on other shows as well. Whenever we met, we would always talk about things like, “I wonder if there will be a Yamato<\/em> this year?” Laugh.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> It\u2019s like you’re family now.<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> Yeah. It was great seeing everyone again. It felt like a class reunion or alumni get-together. For this voice recording, everyone was aware that it was the last time, and we were determined to create something good because of that. I also got to work well and comfortably with Yoshinobu Nishizaki, the producer of Yamato<\/em>, who is known for his one-man show. (Laughs)<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Regarding the distinctive voice of Daisuke Shima, I understand that Hideo Nakamura was ill, and Isao Sasaki took over the role. What did you think of that?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> Isao did a really good job. The director said that his slightly subdued voice was very similar to Nakamura\u2018s. But Hideo was discharged from the hospital and was able to work again. That was after Isao\u2018s scenes were finished. So Nishizaki said, “if possible, I\u2019d like to go with Nakamura,” and explained the situation to Isao, who apparently readily agreed. So they redid the scenes with Hideo.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Then is Shima played by Nakamura-san?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> They recorded his voice, but I don\u2019t know which version they actually used. I haven\u2019t even seen the preview screening yet.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Round and round, huh?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> I think it will be Hideo Nakamura, but I\u2019m not entirely sure, so I couldn\u2019t say for sure on the Radio program, either. (Laughs) It\u2019s a strange story, but in the end Daisuke Shima was double-cast with Nakamura and Sasaki.<\/p>\n

Kuri Kuri:<\/em><\/span> Yamato<\/em> ran for ten years, but how was it for you during those years?<\/p>\n

Tomiyama:<\/em><\/span> There was an anime boom, or some people call it a voice actor boom. Yamato<\/em> was the catalyst for this. It was unthinkable before then that an anime film would be shown in a single theater that usually showed foreign films. Because of that, our work was socially recognized, whereas before we were in the shadows. I was grateful that the genre of work known as voice acting was finally recognized. <\/p>\n

However, after Yamato<\/em>, we started showing up everywhere. I\u2019ve started showing more and more sides of myself that I didn\u2019t need to show. So in a way, people have come to know my face, but I also feel like it might\u2019ve been better if I hadn\u2019t shown it. (Laughs) I don\u2019t want to ruin everyone\u2019s image of me. <\/p>\n

Well, we\u2019re not making much money, but the producer is. (Laughs) that\u2019s how the system works in Japan. I\u2019m still living in a rented apartment, and I\u2019m huffing and puffing to pay the high rent. (Laughs) I will never be able to build my own house. But thanks to Yamato<\/em>, a lot of people all over the country have started watching anime. In that sense, I\u2019m very happy. I think I\u2019ve learned a lot as a voice actor through Yamato<\/em> over the past ten years.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s interviewers<\/em><\/p>\n

Yuka Sato (Yokohama city, first year high school student)<\/p>\n

Miyuki Ohno (Kawasaki city, second year high school student)<\/p>\n

Yoshiko Nakazawa (Yokohama city, third year high school student)<\/p>\n

Sayo Nakao (Yokohama city, third year high school student)<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

Return to previous article<\/a><\/p>\n

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