Kaoru Kobayashi (actor)
Introduction  is a Japanese actor born in Kyoto. A  multi-award winning thespian, he won best actor at the 30th Yokohama Film Festival and best-supporting actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Sorobanzuku''.
Career Kobayashi starred in Yoichi Sai's ''Quill''. He also appeared in Yuya Ishii's ''The Great Passage'' and starred as "Master" in both the films, Midnight Diner and Midnight Diner 2.He is most widely recognized by Western audiences for his lead performance in the episodic counterpart drama series, Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, which was later picked up for international streaming by Netflix. The show garnered critical-acclaim and holds a perfect 100% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Filmography ===Film=== Year Title Role Notes Ref 1977 ''Ballad of Orin'' 1979 ''18sai, umi e'' 1982 ''Yaju-deka'' 1984 ''The Funeral'' 1985 ''Sorekara'' ''Paradise View'' ''Love Letter'' 1986 ''Sorobanzuku'' 1987 ''Twilight of the Cockroaches''  Saito 1989 ''Untamagiru'' Giru Leading role 1997 ''Princess Mononoke'' Jiko-bō (voice) 1999 ''Himitsu'' Heisuke Sugita Leading role ''The Black House''  2003 ''Like Asura'' 2004 ''Quill'' 2006 ''The Blossoming of Kamiya Etsuko'' ''Tales from Earthsea'' The King (voice) 2007 ''Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad'' 2008 ''Vacation'' 2009 ''Kamui Gaiden'' Hanbei 2010 ''Boys on the Run'' Suzuki ''A Crowd of Three'' ''Haru's Journey'' ''Abraxas'' ''Sketches of Kaitan City'' 2011 ''The Egoists'' 2013 ''The Great Passage'' Araki ''Summer's End'' 2015 ''Midnight Diner'' The Master Leading role 2016 ''Midnight Diner 2'' The Master Leading role ''Fueled: The Man They Called Pirate''Jisaku Kōga 2017 ''Kiseki: Sobito of That Day'' Morita ''Mukoku'' Shōzō Yatabe ''Lear on the Shore'' ''Miracles of the Namiya General Store'' 2018 ''The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan''  Fujita 2019 ''His Lost Name'' Tetsurō ''The Island of Cats'' 2020 ''Independence of Japan'' Shigeru Yoshida  2021 ''We Made a Beautiful Bouquet'' Hirotarō Yamane  ''Arc''   2022 ''Yes, I Can't Swim'' Professor Kamoshita  ''A Winter Rose''  ''Dr. Coto's Clinic 2022'' Shōichi Hoshino   2023 ''Trapped Balloon''  Shigezō Kojima  ''Baian the Assassin, M.D.'' Tsuyama Etsudō  ''Baian the Assassin, M.D. 2'' Tsuyama Etsudō  ''Tsugaru Lacquer Girl'' Miyako's father  ''Kubi'' Tokugawa Ieyasu  ''The Boy and the Heron'' Old Pelican (voice)  2024 ''The Yin Yang Master 0'' Fujiwara no Yoshisuke ===Television=== Year Title Role NetworkNotesRef1982''Tōge no Gunzō ''Fuwa KazuemonNHK''Taiga'' drama1992''The Last U-Boat''TatsumiNHKTV movie 1996–2015''Naniwa Kin'yūdō''Sumio KuwataFuji TV 2003–2006''Dr. Coto's Clinic''Shoichi HoshinoFuji TV2 seasons 2009–2014''Midnight Diner''The MasterTBSLeading role2011''Carnation''Zensaku OharaNHK''Asadora''2015''The Emperor's Cook''Kaneichi UsamiTBS''Koinaka''Hirotoshi SerizawaFuji TV2016''Botchan''Madonna's fatherFuji TVSpecial appearance, TV movie''Hibana''WatanabeNetflix2016–2019''Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories''The MasterNetflixLeading role 2017''Naotora: The Lady Warlord''Reverend NankeiNHK''Taiga'' drama''Ties: A Miraculous Colt''KayamaNHKMiniseries''Heaven''Hajime DoisakiWowowMiniseries2018''Hagetaka''Ryōsuke IijimaTV Asahi2019''The Great White Tower''Mataichi ZaizenTV AsahiMiniseries2021''Reach Beyond the Blue Sky''Shibusawa IchirōemonNHK''Taiga'' drama''Kyojo 2''Takeshi ShindoFuji TVMiniseries2023''The Days''FuruyaNetflix''Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero''Takeshi ShindoFuji TV''Fixer''Deputy prime minister Ichirō SuzakiWowow 2024 ''Tora ni Tsubasa'' Shigechika Hodaka NHK ''Asadora'' ===Dubbing===*''The West Wing'' (seasons 1-4), Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen)
Awards  Year Award Category Work(s) Result 1979 4th Hochi Film Award Best New Artist ''18sai, umi e''  1986 59th Kinema Junpo Awards Best Supporting Actor ''Sorekara''  9th Japan Academy Prize Best Supporting Actor ''Sorekara'' and ''Love Letter''  1987 8th Yokohama Film Festival Best Supporting Actor ''Sorobanzuku''  2000 23rd Japan Academy Prize Best Actor ''Himitsu'' and ''Coquille''  2008 31st Japan Academy Prize Best Supporting Actor ''Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad''  2009 30th Yokohama Film Festival Best Actor ''Kyūka'' and ''Kanki no Uta''  2017 26th Japanese Movie Critics Awards Best Actor ''Midnight Diner 2''
References
External links *  Official profile *