Ishida Shigeki

A reliable supporting player for Toho, Ishida Shigeki (sometimes credited as Ishida Chihiro) appeared in dozens of films throughout the studio's golden age. His perennially concerned expression made him perfect for roles as nervous officials, skeptics, or worried citizens.

He was a frequent presence in kaiju films, playing an MP in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), a newspaper editor in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966), and a weary apartment manager in All Monsters Attack (1969). Beyond sci-fi, he was a regular in the popular Crazy Cats comedy series.

After retiring from the screen, he returned to his hometown in Kanazawa to become the chief priest of a Buddhist temple. Upon his death in 1997, his son, the famous voice actor and actor Ishida Tarô (Columbo, Castle of Cagliostro), inherited his priesthood, continuing the family legacy.