Isao Shinohara
Description
Isao Shinohara is a Japanese actor and voice actor born on June 2, 1972, in Tokyo, Japan. Standing 177 centimeters tall with blood type A, his career spans stage productions, television dramas, films, and anime voice work. He is known professionally by his real name, having previously performed under the name Isao Shinohara (篠原功生) before reverting to his birth name in 2009.
Shinohara began his performance career in the early 1990s, appearing in a television commercial for Kao in 1992 and making a cameo appearance as a G-Force crew member in the 1994 film Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla. He became a founding member of the theatrical troupe Desperadoes in 2000, marking the beginning of a significant and ongoing commitment to stage acting. In 2009, he established his own theater company, SINK, for which he also writes and directs productions, continuing to stage performances annually.
His most prominent and widely recognized anime voice role is Rokusho in the Medabots franchise. He voiced the character in the original Medarot television anime, which aired from July 1999 to June 2000, and also provided the voice for Rokusho in the video game Medarot 3 for the Game Boy. The character Rokusho is a mysterious stag beetle-type Medarot, often seen wearing a dirty cloak, who searches for his lost Medafighter and protects rare medals. While this is his primary anime credit, Shinohara has also worked extensively in voice-over as a narrator for various programs and commercials.
Beyond his anime work, Shinohara has built a substantial career as a stage actor. He has performed in major musical productions, including the Japanese casts of Les Misérables (2003-2004), Mozart! (2005), and Elisabeth (2008-2009). His stage work also includes The Threepenny Opera (2007) and numerous plays with his company SINK, such as Inochi, Torikago, and Yokubo. His skills include stage combat, horse riding, and boxing.
Shinohara has made appearances in television dramas, with credits including the series STRANGERS6 in 2012. He has also worked on film and original video productions, such as DEAD AND RUN (2001) and Shin Jingi no Hakaba (2002), while continuing to perform in live theater into the 2020s, with productions like the stage adaptation Hana no Tsubasa-gumi in 2023.
Shinohara began his performance career in the early 1990s, appearing in a television commercial for Kao in 1992 and making a cameo appearance as a G-Force crew member in the 1994 film Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla. He became a founding member of the theatrical troupe Desperadoes in 2000, marking the beginning of a significant and ongoing commitment to stage acting. In 2009, he established his own theater company, SINK, for which he also writes and directs productions, continuing to stage performances annually.
His most prominent and widely recognized anime voice role is Rokusho in the Medabots franchise. He voiced the character in the original Medarot television anime, which aired from July 1999 to June 2000, and also provided the voice for Rokusho in the video game Medarot 3 for the Game Boy. The character Rokusho is a mysterious stag beetle-type Medarot, often seen wearing a dirty cloak, who searches for his lost Medafighter and protects rare medals. While this is his primary anime credit, Shinohara has also worked extensively in voice-over as a narrator for various programs and commercials.
Beyond his anime work, Shinohara has built a substantial career as a stage actor. He has performed in major musical productions, including the Japanese casts of Les Misérables (2003-2004), Mozart! (2005), and Elisabeth (2008-2009). His stage work also includes The Threepenny Opera (2007) and numerous plays with his company SINK, such as Inochi, Torikago, and Yokubo. His skills include stage combat, horse riding, and boxing.
Shinohara has made appearances in television dramas, with credits including the series STRANGERS6 in 2012. He has also worked on film and original video productions, such as DEAD AND RUN (2001) and Shin Jingi no Hakaba (2002), while continuing to perform in live theater into the 2020s, with productions like the stage adaptation Hana no Tsubasa-gumi in 2023.