Kaoru Kobayashi
Born (1951-09-04) September 4, 1951 (age 72)
Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
OccupationActor
Years active1971–present
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Spouse(s)Kumi Nakamura (1984–1995)
Koume (2009–)
Children1

Kaoru Kobayashi (小林 薫, Kobayashi Kaoru, born on September 4, 1951) is a Japanese actor born in Kyoto. A multi-award winning thespian, he won best actor at the 30th Yokohama Film Festival[1] and best-supporting actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for Sorobanzuku.[2]

Career

Kobayashi starred in Yoichi Sai's Quill.[3] He also appeared in Yuya Ishii's The Great Passage[4] 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 [5]
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 [6]
2021 We Made a Beautiful Bouquet Hirotarō Yamane [7]
Arc [8]
2022 Yes, I Can't Swim Professor Kamoshita [9]
A Winter Rose [10]
Dr. Coto's Clinic 2022 Shōichi Hoshino [11]
2023 Trapped Balloon Shigezō Kojima [12]
Baian the Assassin, M.D. Tsuyama Etsudō [13]
Baian the Assassin, M.D. 2 Tsuyama Etsudō [13]
Tsugaru Lacquer Girl Miyako's father [14]
Kubi Tokugawa Ieyasu [15]
The Boy and the Heron Old Pelican (voice) [16]
2024 The Yin Yang Master 0 Fujiwara no Yoshisuke [17]
Promised Land Shimoyama [18]

Television

Year Title Role Network Notes Ref
1982 Tōge no Gunzō Fuwa Kazuemon NHK Taiga drama
1992 The Last U-Boat Tatsumi NHK TV movie
1996–2015 Naniwa Kin'yūdō Sumio Kuwata Fuji TV
2003–2006 Dr. Coto's Clinic Shoichi Hoshino Fuji TV 2 seasons [11]
2009–2014 Midnight Diner The Master TBS Leading role
2011 Carnation Zensaku Ohara NHK Asadora
2015 The Emperor's Cook Kaneichi Usami TBS
Koinaka Hirotoshi Serizawa Fuji TV
2016 Botchan Madonna's father Fuji TV Special appearance, TV movie
Hibana Watanabe Netflix
2016–2019 Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories The Master Netflix Leading role
2017 Naotora: The Lady Warlord Reverend Nankei NHK Taiga drama
Ties: A Miraculous Colt Kayama NHK Miniseries
Heaven Hajime Doisaki Wowow Miniseries
2018 Hagetaka Ryōsuke Iijima TV Asahi
2019 The Great White Tower Mataichi Zaizen TV Asahi Miniseries
2021 Reach Beyond the Blue Sky Shibusawa Ichirōemon NHK Taiga drama [19]
Kyojo 2 Takeshi Shindo Fuji TV Miniseries [20]
2023 The Days Furuya Netflix [21]
Kazama Kimichika: Kyojo Zero Takeshi Shindo Fuji TV [20]
Fixer Deputy prime minister Ichirō Suzaki Wowow [22]
2024 Tora ni Tsubasa Shigechika Hodaka NHK Asadora [23]

Dubbing

Awards

Year Award Category Work(s) Result
1979 4th Hochi Film Award Best New Artist 18sai, umi e Won
1986 59th Kinema Junpo Awards Best Supporting Actor Sorekara Won
9th Japan Academy Prize Best Supporting Actor Sorekara and Love Letter Won
1987 8th Yokohama Film Festival Best Supporting Actor Sorobanzuku Won
2000 23rd Japan Academy Prize Best Actor Himitsu and Coquille Nominated
2008 31st Japan Academy Prize Best Supporting Actor Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad Won
2009 30th Yokohama Film Festival Best Actor Kyūka and Kanki no Uta Won
2017 26th Japanese Movie Critics Awards Best Actor Midnight Diner 2 Won

References

  1. ^ 第30回ヨコハマ映画祭 2008年日本映画個人賞 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  2. ^ 第8回ヨコハマ映画祭 1986年日本映画個人賞 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  3. ^ Tobias, Scott (May 17, 2012). "Quill: The Life Of A Guide Dog - Film - Movie Review". The A.V. Club. The Onion.
  4. ^ Teh, Yvonne (August 22, 2013). "Film Review: Tongue-tied linguist's lexicon of love in The Great Passage". South China Morning Post.
  5. ^ "黒い家". eiga.com. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  6. ^ "浅野忠信＆宮沢りえが白洲次郎、正子夫妻 小林薫が吉田茂に 「日本独立」12月18日公開". eiga.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "清原果耶＆オダギリジョーら『花束みたいな恋をした』追加キャスト発表". Cinema Cafe. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  8. ^ "芳根京子が石川慶の監督作「Arc」で不老不死に、寺島しのぶや岡田将生ら共演". Natalie. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "はい、泳げません". eiga.com. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "冬薔薇（ふゆそうび）". eiga.com. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "映画「Dr.コトー診療所」に柴咲コウ、時任三郎、大塚寧々ら出演！富岡涼も参加". Natalie. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "とべない風船". eiga.com. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "新たな鬼平 新たな梅安". Jidaigeki Senmon Channel. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  14. ^ "高森さん(三戸)小説原作の映画｢バカ塗りの娘｣ 10日から弘前で撮影開始". The To-o Nippo Pressl. 10 September 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "北野武監督『首』今秋公開決定！ティザービジュアルが解禁！". Fan's Voice. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  16. ^ 「君たちはどう生きるか」ストーリー、声優、主題歌が明らかに [Story, voice actors, and theme song revealed for "How Do You Live?"]. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "陰陽師0". eiga.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  18. ^ "プロミスト・ランド". eiga.com. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  19. ^ "青天を衝け". TV drama database. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  20. ^ a b "堀田真由、ジャニーズWEST・濵田崇裕ら『風間公親－教場0－』新キャストに決定 前作より小林薫＆小日向文世も出演". Crank-in!. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "役所広司主演「THE DAYS」ティザー予告に竹野内豊、小日向文世、小林薫". Natalie. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  22. ^ "「連続ドラマW フィクサー」ビジュアル＆予告、唐沢寿明が政界を舞台に暗躍". Natalie. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  23. ^ "松山ケンイチ＆小林薫、朝ドラ『虎に翼』出演決定 伊藤沙莉の"師匠"となる法曹界の人物に". Real Sound. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  24. ^ "ザ・ホワイトハウス". SuperDramaTV. Retrieved October 30, 2021.

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