My Take
Okay, Toshiaki Karasawa just quietly impresses me every single time. Here's a guy who started out as a suit actor doing stunts and martial arts, and somehow that same person turns around and plays Goro Zaizen in Shiroi Kyoto, this ice-cold, scheming surgeon, with a face so calm it's almost scary. Then in the very next breath he's the warm, goofy dad voice of Woody in the Japanese Toy Story dub. The range is honestly ridiculous, and I love that he never seems to be showing off about it. He's been married to Tomoko Yamaguchi for decades and they've stayed solid, which in showbiz feels borderline miraculous. And the man hates sweets but loves natto and gyoza, which is just endearingly down-to-earth. Total respect from me.
Overview
Toshiaki Karasawa (born June 3, 1963, in Taito, Tokyo) is a Japanese actor and voice actor who began his career as a suit performer at Toei Action Club before debuting on stage in 1987. He rose to national prominence with the 1992 Fuji TV drama "Ai to iu Na no Moto ni" and cemented his status as a leading man with his portrayal of the driven surgeon Zaizen Goro in the 2003 drama "Shiroi Kyoto," which drew record-high ratings. Beyond live-action work, he is widely recognized as the Japanese dubbing voice of Woody in the Toy Story film series. He has been married to actress Tomoko Yamaguchi since 1995.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Toshiaki Karasawa
- Name (Japanese)
- 唐沢潔
- Reading
- からさわ きよし
- Born
- June 3, 1963 (age 62)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rabbit (卯)
- Origin
- Taito, Tokyo, Japan
- Blood type
- A
- Height
- 175 cm
- Agency
- Ken-On
- Agency history
- Sanseisha (c. 1987–)
Toei Action Club (training period) - Active years
- 1987 – present
- Occupation
- Actor / Voice Actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Toizumi Elementary School (Taito)
- Junior high
- Taito Municipal Shitaya Junior High School
- High school
- Tokyo Metropolitan Kuramae Industrial High School (withdrew after 2nd year)
- University
- Did not attend
- Debut
- 1987 — stage debut at Hakuhinkan Theater in "Boys Review: Stay Gold"
Awards & achievements
- 1992 — 15th Japan Academy Prize, New Actor Award (Oishii Kekkon / Hello Harinezumi)
- 1997 — 21st Japan Academy Prize, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Radio no Jikan)
- 2007 — Television Drama Academy Award, Best Leading Actor (Shiroi Kyoto related work)
- 2008 — Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, Theater Division (FY2007)
- 2016 — 90th Television Drama Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor (Toto Nee-chan)
Timeline
- 1979Joined Toei Action Club; began appearing as a suit performer in tokusatsu productions
- 1987Stage debut at Hakuhinkan Theater; signed with Sanseisha and made acting debut
- 1988Appeared in NHK morning drama Junko no Oengka; met actress Tomoko Yamaguchi on set
- 1992Broke through with Fuji TV drama Ai to iu Na no Moto ni; won Japan Academy Prize for New Actor
- 1995Married actress Tomoko Yamaguchi
- 1997Led film Radio no Jikan; won Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- 2003Starred in Fuji TV drama Shiroi Kyoto; production achieved record-high ratings
- 2008Won Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists (Theater Division)
- 2009Starred in Fuji TV drama Fumou Chitai
- 2014Starred in TBS drama Roosevelt Game
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Tomoko Yamaguchi (married 1995)
- Children
- None (by choice)
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Second of three brothers (older brother, younger brother)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Watching films
- Watching television
- Automobiles (owns Honda NSX and others)
Specialties
- Shorinji Kempo
- Stunt action
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV Drama | Ai to iu Na no Moto ni | Cast member | 1992 |
| Film | Radio no Jikan | Lead | 1997 |
| TV Drama | Shiroi Kyoto | Lead (Zaizen Goro) | 2003 |
| Film | 20th Century Boys (Parts 1–3) | Lead | 2008 |
| TV Drama | Fumou Chitai | Lead | 2009 |
| TV Drama | Roosevelt Game | Lead | 2014 |
| Voice Acting (dubbing) | Toy Story series | Woody (Japanese dub) | 1996 |
| TV Drama | Toto Nee-chan | Cast member | 2016 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://spn.ken-on.com/profile/?id=karasawa_toshiaki
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E6%B2%A2%E5%AF%BF%E6%98%8E
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.