Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志 Kobayashi Kiyoshi, born January 11, 1933, died July 30, 2022) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo.
Graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa High School, he attended the National Institute for Cultural Studies where he was a member of the Izumiza Theater Troupe and Nihon University College of Art in the theater department in 1953. In 1960, he participated in the founding of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (also known as Haikyo) where he is still a member.
Outside of his role as Daisuke Jigen, he was also Crystal Bowie in Space Adventure Cobra, Watari in Death Note, Jubei from the Samuari Shodown games, among other roles including the Japanese voice of the Wolf from Droopy, and Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Kobayashi has voice dubbed western stars such as James Coburn, Lee Marvin, Franco Nero and like Yasuo Yamada and Gorō Naya, he also dubbed Clint Eastwood.
On September 7 2021, it was announced that Kobayashi retired as Daisuke Jigen with the reason given from TMS was due to having difficulty doing the voice at the age of 88 and mentioned regarding his physical health. Kobayashi had wanted to continue the role during a stage greeting of The First as "I want to do a little more."[1]
Kobayashi passed away from pneumonia at the age of 89.
Roles[]
As Daisuke Jigen[]
- Lupin the Third: Pilot Film
- Lupin the 3rd Part 1
- Lupin the 3rd Part 2
- The Mystery of Mamo
- The Castle of Cagliostro
- Lupin the 3rd Part III
- The Legend of the Gold of Babylon
- Bye-Bye Liberty - Close Call!
- Mystery of the Hemingway Papers
- Steal Napoleon's Dictionary!
- From Russia With Love
- Orders to Assassinate Lupin
- Burn, Zantetsuken!
- Farewell to Nostradamus
- The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure
- Dead or Alive
- The Secret of Twilight Gemini
- In Memory of the Walther P38
- Tokyo Crisis
- Da Capo of Love: Fujiko's Unlucky Days
- $1 Money Wars
- Alcatraz Connection
- Return of the Magician
- Episode 0: First Contact
- Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King
- Operation: Return the Treasure
- Stolen Lupin
- The Inheritance of Columbus is Dyed by Blood
- Angel's Tactics
- Seven Days Rhapsody
- Lupin is dead, Zenigata is in love
- Elusiveness of the Fog
- Sweet Lost Night
- Green vs. Red
- Lupin III vs. Detective Conan
- The Last Job
- Blood Seal - Eternal Mermaid
- Record of Observations of the East - Another Page
- Princess of the Breeze
- Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie
- Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone
- Lupin the 3rd Part 4
- Italian Game
- The Blood Spray of Goemon Ishikawa
- Lupin the 3rd Part 5
- Is Lupin Still Burning?
- Goodbye Partner
- Fujiko Mine's Lie
- Prison of the Past
- Lupin III: The First
- Part 6 Episode 0
Trivia[]
- Kiyoshi Kobayashi has voiced Daisuke Jigen in nearly every single appearance for 52 years with only one exception, The Plot of the Fuma Clan where he was voiced by Banjō Ginga. As of 2021, Jigen's voice actor is Akio Ōtsuka.
- He also voiced in the Japanese dub of Samurai Jack a character known as the Thief in the episode "Jack and the Labyrinth" whose appearance was modeled Jigen. Satoshi Kato, the dubbing director for Samurai Jack, had been a voice director on many Lupin III projects and cast Kobayashi in the role.
- He dubbed James Coburn as Britt - who Jigen was modeled on- in the NET dub of The Magnificent Seven (1960).
- According to Haikyo, Kiyoshi Kobayashi also understands and can also translate from English.
- He shares a couple of things in common with Jigen. He likes Spaghetti Westerns, and his favorite in particular is Sergio Leone's 1971 buddy film Duck, You Sucker!
- He was close friends with Yasuo Yamada, and they would play golf together.