Kazuo Kitamura was a veteran Japanese actor whose career spanned several decades and included notable work in anime voice acting. Born in 1927, he passed away on May 6, 2007, in Tokyo at the age of 80. While he was widely recognized for his extensive live-action roles, particularly in the films of Akira Kurosawa, his contributions to animation remain significant.

In the realm of anime, Kitamura is perhaps best remembered for his performances in two classic Toei animated films from the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1979 film Taro the Dragon Boy, based on the children's book by Miyoko Matsutani, he provided the voices for two characters: the antagonist Black Oni and a character named Niwatori-chōja. This film, directed by Kiriro Urayama, is a fantasy adventure following a young boy's quest to find his mother, who was transformed into a dragon.

Kitamura also played dual roles in the 1982 film Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, also known as Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. In this adaptation of the classic tale, he voiced both the powerful Genie of the Lamp and the Sultan, the ruler of the kingdom. His work in these films represents a key part of his contribution to Japanese animation during a prolific era for the industry.

Beyond his voice acting, Kitamura was a prominent figure in Japanese cinema and television. Internationally, he was best known for his starring role in Akira Kurosawa's 1963 crime drama High and Low. In the 2000s, he portrayed the significant historical figure Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun of Japan, in both the Musashi television series and the 2005 film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. His career demonstrated a versatility that allowed him to move seamlessly between live-action period pieces, contemporary dramas, and animated features for children.