Sanshi Katsura was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on July 16, 1943, in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. His career in the entertainment industry began in 1970 with a role in the film Tomei Kenshi. Over the following decades, he became known for his work across both live-action and animated productions, often appearing under the stage name Sanshi Katsura before later being recognized as the Sixth Generation Bunshi Katsura.

Katsura’s voice acting credits include several notable animated films from major directors. He provided the voice for the character Wataru Hanai in the 1981 film Jarinko Chie, which was co-written and directed by Isao Takahata. That same year, he also performed voice work for the film Manzai Taikoki. In the realm of fantasy and horror, he played the role of Shigemaru Kuroda in the 1988 live-action film Doomed Megalopolis: The Last Megalopolis, also known as Teito Monogatari, a project directed by Akio Jissoji. One of his most internationally recognized voice roles came in 1992 when he voiced the character Mr. Piccolo, known in Japanese as Piccolo Oyaji, in Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed Studio Ghibli film Porco Rosso.

In addition to his voice work in animation, Katsura maintained an active career as a screen actor, with film appearances including the 2006 drama Wakei no Matsu and the 2018 historical comedy Nomiya Samurai. He also worked as a screenwriter, contributing to the 1987 film Golf Yoake Mae.

Throughout his career, Katsura was part of a long-standing Japanese comedic and performance tradition. He began his training in 1966 as a disciple of the Fifth Generation Bunshi Katsura. In 2012, he formally succeeded to the name, becoming the Sixth Generation Bunshi Katsura. He continued to perform and make public appearances under this name in later years.