Hiroya Ishimaru

Hiroya Ishimaru is best known for originating the voice of protagonist Koji Kabuto across the Mazinger Z franchise, starting in the early 1970s. He is also counted among the Japanese voice cast connected to the One Piece anime, though the specific character is not documented.

Hiroya Ishimaru was originally billed under his birth name, Shinji Ishide, before becoming known by his stage name. He became a household name in Japan through his role as Koji Kabuto in Mazinger Z.

For decades, Ishimaru served as the standard Japanese dub voice for actor Jackie Chan, continuing the role even after formally stepping back from most voice work. He is also noted as a fluent English speaker, which supported his long dubbing career.

Ishimaru formally stepped back from voice work in 2023, closing out a career that dated back to around 1960. He was born in 1941 and worked in the industry for over six decades.

Ishimaru is counted among the Japanese voice performers linked to the long-running One Piece anime produced by Toei Animation, though the particular character has not been documented in available sources. This credit sits alongside his more prominent work as Koji Kabuto in Mazinger Z and as Jackie Chan's Japanese dub artist.