Kazuhisa Kawahara
Description
Kazuhisa Kawahara is a Japanese actor and voice actor born on December 26, 1961, in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. He is a graduate of the College of Art at Nihon University. While he has an extensive career as an on-screen actor, his work as a voice actor is more selective, with his performances in anime and video games being notable but comprising a smaller portion of his overall body of work.
Kawahara's career background is primarily rooted in live-action television and film, where he is best known for his long-running role as Sergeant Keichi Itami in the detective drama series Aibō. His forays into voice acting have been in high-profile projects, often lending his voice to characters in popular franchises.
One of his most recognized voice roles is that of Seiji Iwaki in the Initial D series. Iwaki is the second driver for the Emperor team and a rival to the main protagonist, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV. Kawahara voiced the character in several installments of the franchise, including the Second Stage television series, the Battle Stage video, and the Final Stage. He also reprised the role for the arcade game Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity.
Another significant voice role credited to Kawahara is Takeshi Ikeda, also known as Ikepii, in the original video animation adaptation of Be-Bop Highschool. This OVA series, produced by Toei Animation, was released between 1990 and 1998.
Beyond these two series, Kawahara has also contributed his voice to the Kamen Rider franchise, a series that blends live-action and voice work. He voiced the villain Apollo Geist in Kamen Rider Decade and its related video game adaptations, such as Kamen Rider: Battride War and Kamen Rider Battride War: Genesis. His involvement in such a major tokusatsu franchise represents a recurring collaboration with Toei Company, which produces both Kamen Rider and the Aibō series in which he stars. This connection highlights how his voice roles often intersect with the broader entertainment universe of the production companies he works with.
Kawahara's career background is primarily rooted in live-action television and film, where he is best known for his long-running role as Sergeant Keichi Itami in the detective drama series Aibō. His forays into voice acting have been in high-profile projects, often lending his voice to characters in popular franchises.
One of his most recognized voice roles is that of Seiji Iwaki in the Initial D series. Iwaki is the second driver for the Emperor team and a rival to the main protagonist, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV. Kawahara voiced the character in several installments of the franchise, including the Second Stage television series, the Battle Stage video, and the Final Stage. He also reprised the role for the arcade game Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity.
Another significant voice role credited to Kawahara is Takeshi Ikeda, also known as Ikepii, in the original video animation adaptation of Be-Bop Highschool. This OVA series, produced by Toei Animation, was released between 1990 and 1998.
Beyond these two series, Kawahara has also contributed his voice to the Kamen Rider franchise, a series that blends live-action and voice work. He voiced the villain Apollo Geist in Kamen Rider Decade and its related video game adaptations, such as Kamen Rider: Battride War and Kamen Rider Battride War: Genesis. His involvement in such a major tokusatsu franchise represents a recurring collaboration with Toei Company, which produces both Kamen Rider and the Aibō series in which he stars. This connection highlights how his voice roles often intersect with the broader entertainment universe of the production companies he works with.
All Characters
- JapaneseAnime overview: Initial D to the Next Stage - Project D e Mukete
- JapaneseAnime overview: Be-Bop-Highschool
- JapaneseAnime overview: OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders
- JapaneseAnime overview: Kamen Rider Decade
- JapaneseAnime overview: Initial D: Second Stage