Takaya Hashi


Takaya Katō, known professionally as Takaya Hashi, was a Japanese voice actor. He voiced Toki in Fist of the North Star, Kakuzu in Naruto, Vearn in Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, and Donovan Desmond in Spy × Family. He was a representative director at the talent agency until his death.

Life and career

Takaya Hashi, a native of Tokyo, was born on 8 September 1952. He graduated from and Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music Department of Arts, where he was a theatre major.
Hashi was originally a member of the Seinenza Theater Company, joining in April 1974 and having major roles in some of their plays. Hashi also appeared in television dramas, appearing in Aoi, Chūgakusei Nikki,,, and.
After voicing some characters in the 1983 anime Aura Battler Dunbine and Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger, Hashi voiced Toki, a major character in the Fist of the North Star anime, before voicing Ernest Mecklinger in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Kurosaki in Patlabor: The TV Series, and Jubei Yagyu in Yaiba. He subsequently voiced Kakuzu in Naruto, James Black in Case Closed, Pharaoh 90 in Sailor Moon Crystal, Donovan Desmond in Spy × Family, and Vearn in Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai.
In video games, he voiced Skull Face in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Slayer in Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- and Guilty Gear Strive, Yoseph Calvert in Astral Chain, Fugen in Monster Hunter Rise, and Triton in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. He also dubbed several characters portrayed by Alec Baldwin and Alan Rickman, including Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film series.
Despite his advanced age, Hashi remained in voice acting during his senior years, and his voice acting career lasted several decades. Joshua Fox of Screen Rant called Hashi a "true anime legend", citing his deep voice and ability to improve even at an advanced age. Robert Ito of The New York Times called Hashi " of Japan's top voice actors".
Hashi served as representative director for talent agency until his death.
Hashi died from a heart attack on 27 August 2025, at the age of 72.

Selected filmography

Television animation

Original video animation

Original net animation

Video games

Live-action television

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