Togo Igawa facts for kids

Togo Igawa (伊川 東吾, Igawa Tōgo) is a famous Japanese actor who lives and works in England. He was born with the name Yoshiyuki Baba (馬場 義之, Baba Yoshiyuki), but uses Togo Igawa as his professional name.

Igawa is known for his work in British movies, television shows, and theater. He has appeared in many popular films and has done voice acting for cartoons and video games. In 2012, he was nominated for a BAFTA award, which is a major British award for film and television, for his role in the video game Total War: Shogun 2.

Acting Career

Togo Igawa's career began in Japan, where he started a theater group called Black Tent Theatre. In the 1980s, he moved to the United Kingdom to continue his acting career. In 1986, he made history by becoming the first Japanese actor to join The Royal Shakespeare Company, one of the most famous theater companies in the world.

Movies and Television

Igawa has acted in many well-known movies. You might have seen him in films like The Last Samurai, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Revolver. He also played a role in Johnny English Reborn as a Tibetan guru who trains the main character.

His television work includes roles in many popular British shows. He has appeared in episodes of The IT Crowd, Torchwood, Doctor Who, and The Crown, where he played Emperor Hirohito. In 2019, he was part of the main cast for the BBC show Giri/Haji.

In 2023, Igawa played Hiroshi Yamauchi, the real-life businessman who helped make Nintendo a giant company, in the movie Tetris.

Voice Acting and Video Games

Igawa is also a talented voice actor. Many children know his voice from the cartoon Robotboy, where he played Professor Moshimo. He is also the voice of Hiro in the Thomas & Friends series, starting with the movie Hero of the Rails.

He has lent his voice to several video games. He was the narrator for Shogun: Total War and played the main villain, Colonel Lee, in Crysis Warhead. He also voiced the character Jiro in the game Payday 2. His performance in Total War: Shogun 2 earned him a nomination for a BAFTA award.

Personal Life

Togo Igawa lives in England with his wife, Adrienne Baba. Before becoming a professional actor, he studied drama at two schools in Japan: The Haiyuza Theatre Company Acting School and Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Togo Igawa's most famous roles in movies, television, and video games.

Film

• The Last Samurai (2003) as General Hasegawa
• Revolver (2005) as Fred
• Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) as Tanaka
• Speed Racer (2008) as Tetsuo Togokahn
• Hero of the Rails (2009) as the voice of Hiro
• Johnny English Reborn (2011) as Ting Wang
• 47 Ronin (2013) as the voice of the Tengu Lord
• Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014) as Gotetsu
• Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) as a Resistance Bridge Officer
• Tetris (2023) as Hiroshi Yamauchi

Television

• Lovejoy (1992) as Mr. Kashimoto
• Robotboy (2005–2008) as the voice of Professor Moshimo
• The IT Crowd (2006, 2008) as Yamamoto
• Torchwood (2006) as Dr. Tanizaki
• Thomas & Friends (2010–2020) as the voice of Hiro
• Archer (2015) as the voice of Kentaro Sato
• Doctor Who (2017) as the Secretary General
• Giri/Haji (2019) as Hotaka
• The Crown (2019) as Emperor Hirohito

Video Games

• Crysis Warhead (2008) as Colonel Lee
• Total War: Shogun 2 (2010) as the narrator
• Payday 2 (2015) as Jiro
• Evil Genius 2: World Domination (2021) as Jubei

See also

In Spanish: Togo Igawa para niños