Photo: Unknown Author / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, Asao Sano is the warmest face on Japanese TV to me, the third actor to take up the wandering retired lord in Mito Komon, and where his predecessors played it stern and sharp, he played it like your kindest grandfather happening to roam the provinces. That round, gentle smile just disarmed you. What stops me cold, though, is the timeline: born in 1925 in Kanagawa, he came of age into the war and served in the kamikaze generation, and you can't watch those soft eyes the same way once you know that. Whatever he carried, he never made it your burden. He did voice work too, that low, warm tone that sticks with you, and at a slight 164 centimeters he still steadied a whole scene just by standing in it. A genuinely good man on screen, and one heck of a Komon.
Overview
Asao Sano (August 13, 1925 – June 28, 2022) was a Japanese actor and voice actor born in Hodogaya, Kanagawa Prefecture. He served as a kamikaze unit member during World War II before building a long career in film and television. He is best known to Japanese audiences for his portrayal of Mito Komon as the third lead actor in the long-running historical drama series. In 1996 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Zuiho-sho) in recognition of his contributions to the arts.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Asao Sano
- Name (Japanese)
- 佐野浅夫
- Reading
- さの あさお
- Born
- August 13, 1925 – June 28, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Ox (Ushi)
- Origin
- Hodogaya, Kanagawa, Japan
- Height
- 164 cm
- Occupation
- Actor / Voice Actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1996 – Order of the Sacred Treasure (Zuiho-sho)
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%90%E9%87%8E%E6%B5%85%E5%A4%AB
Frequently asked questions
When was Asao Sano born?
August 13, 1925 – June 28, 2022.
Where is Asao Sano from?
Asao Sano is from Hodogaya, Kanagawa, Japan.
What does Asao Sano do?
Asao Sano works as Actor, Voice Actor.
How tall is Asao Sano?
Asao Sano is 164 cm.
Actor — see all → · Voice Actor — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.