Editing Kenji Sahara

{{short description|Japanese actor (born 1932)}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Kenji Sahara
| image              = Kenji Sahara.jpg
| birth_name         = Masayoshi Kato
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1932|5|14|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Kawasaki City]], [[Kanagawa]], Japan
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| height             = {{height|cm=176}}
| occupation         = Actor
| caption            = Sahara on the set of ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962)
| other_names        = Tadashi Ishihara, Jun Manjōme
| years_active       = 1953–2013
| spouse             = 
}}

'''Kenji Sahara''' (佐原 健二 ''Sahara Kenji'') (born 14 May 1932) is a Japanese actor. He was born in [[Kawasaki City]], [[Kanagawa]]. His birth name is '''Masayoshi Kato''' (加藤 正好 ''Katō Masayoshi''). Initially he used the name '''Tadashi Ishihara''' before changing it when he secured the lead role in ''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956).

==Selected filmography==
Sahara did a lot of work for the [[Toho Company]], the studio that so far has produced 28 [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' movies]].  He appeared in more of the ''Godzilla'' series than any other actor.

Also, he is the actor who was often relied on in most of the films by Directors Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya.

He has appeared in many supporting roles.

Sahara is famous as a mainstay of Toho special-effects movies and the ''Ultraman'' series.

* ''[[Farewell Rabaul]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954) – as Young Lover on the Sound
* ''[[Yuki No Koi]]'' (1955) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
* ''[[Seifuku No Otome Tachi]]'' (1955) – as Hideya Fujiwara (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
* ''[[Aoi Me]]'' (1956) – as Jirô Hayashi (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
* ''[[Street of Shame]]'' (1956)
* ''[[Godzilla, King of the Monsters!]]'' (1956) – as Man on Boat
* ''[[Norihei No Daigaku]]'' (1956) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
* ''[[People of Tokyo, Goodbye]]'' (1956) – (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
* ''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956) – as Shigeru Kawamura (credited as Kenji Sawara)
* ''[[Yoru no kamome]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Meshiro Sanpei monogatari]]'' (1957) – as Otsuka
* ''[[Zoku Sazae-san]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Hikage no musume]]'' (1957)
* ''[[Daigaku no samurai tachi]]'' (1957) – as Yamada
* ''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) – as Joji Atsumi
* ''[[Song for a Bride]]'' (1958)
* ''[[The Badger Palace]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Kiuchi yasuto]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Anzukko]]'' (1958)
* ''[[The H-Man]]'' (1958) – as Dr. Masada
* ''[[The Young Beast]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Zokuzoku salaryman shussetai koki]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Josei S.O.S.]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Otona niwa wakaranai: Seishun hakusho]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Salaryman jikkai]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Onna gokoro]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Gokigen musume]]'' (1959)
*''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961) as Helicopter Pilot
*''[[Gorath]]'' (1962) as Saiki, Vice Captain of Ôtori
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) as Kazuo Fujita
*''[[Matango]]'' (1963) as Senzō Koyama
*''[[Atragon]]'' (1963) as Umino, Journalist/Mu Agent
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) as Jiro Torahata, a corrupt business tycoon
*''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964)
*''[[Frankenstein Conquers the World]]'' (1965) as a Soldier
*''[[None but the Brave]]'' (1965) as Cpl. Fujimoto
*''[[War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) as Dr. Yuzo Majida
*''[[Son of Godzilla]]'' (1967) as Morio
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968) as Nishikawa, Moon Base Commander
*''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969) as Kenichi Mitsuki
*''[[Space Amoeba]]'' (1970) as Makoto Obata
*''[[Kage Gari]] Hoero Taihō'' (1972)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' (1974) as Ship Captain
*''[[Karafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu no mon]]'' (1974) as Toshikazu Okaya
*''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]'' (1975) as General Segawa
*''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991) as Minister Takayuki Segawa
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) as Minister Takayuki Segawa
*''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994) as Minister Takayuki Segawa
*''[[Hitman (1998 film)|Hitman]]'' (1998) as Tsukamoto, a sleazy and notorious ex-yakuza boss who is assassinated by the King of Killers at the beginning of the film
*''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004) as Hachiro Jinguji

Sahara was also the lead in the first of the ''Ultra'' series, [[Ultra Q]]. He also appeared in a number of subsequent ''Ultra'' series, including:

*''[[Ultra Q]]'' (1966)- as Jun Manjoume
*''[[Ultra Seven]]'' (1967–1968) - as Takenaka Jinguji
*''[[Return of Ultraman]]'' (1971–1972) - as Takenaka Jinguji
*''[[Ultraman 80]]'' (1980–1981) - as Dr. Jono
*''[[Ultraman Nexus]]'' (2004–2005) - as Togo
*''[[Ultraman Mebius]]'' (2006–2007) - as Takenaka Jinguji

His latest Ultraman appearance was in the 2008 Ultraman movie, ''[[Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers]]''. He also made a cameo in episodes 47 and 48 of [[Sonic X]], being the voice of Dr. Atsumi.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0756292}}
* Biondi, Robert. Satoko Yoshimaru & Takahiko Mamiya (trans.) Winter 1997. [http://www.historyvortex.org/SaharaInterview.html "An Interview with Kenji Sahara: 40 Years of Keeping Godzilla at Bay"], [https://web.archive.org/web/20090413035322/http://www.historyvortex.org/KaijuFan.html Kaiju Fan Online]. Originally published in ''Kaiju Fan''.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahara, Kenji}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:Possibly living people]]
[[Category:Japanese male film actors]]
[[Category:People from Kawasaki, Kanagawa]]