Masanari Nihei

Masanari Nihei (二瓶 正也, Nihei Masanari, 9 December 1940 – 21 August 2021) was a Japanese actor. He played Mitsuhiro Ide in Ultraman, having won the role when originally cast actor Susumu Ishikawa left the production.^[1]

Masanari Nihei
Born	Masanari Nihei (1940-12-09)9 December 1940 Tokyo, Japan
Died	21 August 2021(2021-08-21) (aged 80)
Occupation	Actor

Death

Masanari Nihei died on 21 August 2021 due to aspiration pneumonia. His funeral was held privately by his close relatives.^[2][3]

Selected filmography

Film

• Kane-dukuri taikô-ki (1960)
• Ankokugai no dankon (1961)
• Nasake muyo no wana (1961)
• As a Wife, As a Woman (1961)
• Nakito gozansu (1961)
• Mothra (1961) - Dam Policeman / Infant Island Islander (uncredited)
• Witness Killed (1961)
• Gorath (1962) - Itô - Astronaut of Ôtori
• Dobunezumi sakusen (1962)
• Nihon ichi no wakadaishô (1962)
• Gekkyû dorobo (1962)
• Sengoku yarô (1963)
• Chintao yôsai bakugeki meirei (1963)
• Ichi ka bachi ka (1963)
• Ringo no hana saku machi (1963) - Takuya Igarashi
• The Lost World of Sinbad (1963) - Rebel
• Eburi manshi no yûga-na seikatsu (1963)
• Kyô mo ware ôzora ni ari (1964)
• Aa bakudan (1964) - Tatsumi
• Nippon ichi no horafuki otoko (1964) - Construction Worker
• Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kayaku no taru (1964) - Seinen Miyaji
• Hana no oedo no musekinin (1964)
• Samurai Assassin (1965) - Ronin
• Nippon ichi no goma suri otoko (1965)
• Taiheiyô kiseki no sakusen: Kisuka (1965)
• Senjo ni nagareru uta (1965)
• Kureji no daiboken (1965)
• Ereki no Wakadaishō (1965) - Nishina / The Drummer of The Young Beats
• Onna no naka ni iru tanin (1966)
• Nippon ichi no gorigan otoko (1966)
• Kureji da yo: kisôtengai (1966) - Yokota
• Kureji daisakusen (1966)
• The Age of Assassins (1967) - Pappy
• Ultraman (1968) - Mitsuhiro Ide
• Nippon ichi no danzetsu otoko (1969)
• Kiki kaikai ore wa dareda?! (1969) - Henchman
• Hangyaku no Melody (1970)
• Dodesukaden (1970) - 4th Man calling out
• Nippon ichi no warunori otoko (1970)
• Nippon ichi no shokku otoko (1971)
• A Man′s World (1971) - Aoki
• Nippon sanjûshi: Osaraba Tokyo no maki (1972) - Gen-san
• Isoge! Wakamono (1974) - Matsuo
• Shirauo (1977)
• Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari kôen mae hashutsujo (1977)
• Hakunetsu Dead Heat (1977)
• Dainamaito don don (1978) - Inukai
• Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle (1979) - Mitsuhiro Ide
• Ultraman (1979) - Mitsuhiro Ide
• Disciples of Hippocrates (1980) - Reporter
• Haithîn bugi (1982)
• Arashi o yobu otoko (1983) - Club manager
• Aitsu to lullaby (1983) - Takimoto
• Fireflies in the North (1984) - Tomosaburo Kumagai
• Usugeshô (1985)
• Ultraman Zearth (1996) - Photographer
• Revive! Ultraman (1996, Short) - Mitsuhiro Ide (archive footage)
• Ultraman Zearth 2 (1997) - Photographer
• Ultraman Cosmos: The First Contact (2001)
• Daikessen! Chô urutora 8 kyôdai (2008) - Owner of Cheep Candy Shop (final film role)

Television

• Ultra Q (1966; episodes 2, 6, and 15) - Nakamatsu's Assistant / Bank-Robber Gang Sato / The Man who Delivers Milk
• Ultraman (1966) - Mitsuhiro Ide
• Ultra Seven (1968, episode 42) - Masaya
• Mighty Jack (1968) - Akira Genda
• The Ultraman (1979-1980) - Hiroaki Tobe (voice)
• Tokkei Winspector (1990, episode 8) - Daizou Oomagari Gen'ichi Yonekura^{[clarification needed]}
• Sōrito Yobanaide (1997) - SP
• Ultraman Max (2006) - Dr. Date

References

1. Ragona, August (2007). Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman and Godzilla. Chronicle Books. p. 120. ISBN 9780811860789.
2. "俳優の二瓶正也さん死去 「ウルトラマン」のイデ隊員" (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
3. "「ウルトラマン」イデ隊員役の二瓶正也さん誤嚥性肺炎で死去、80歳" (in Japanese). Livedoor News. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

External links

• Masanari Nihei at IMDb