The official website for Akihiro Miwa — actor, voice actor, and singer, born Akihiro Maruyama — announced on Sunday that Miwa passed away peacefully on June 20 from causes related to old age. He was 91.
A Quiet Farewell
Miwa’s agency revealed that he had been gradually stepping back from work over the past year due to his advanced age. His health began to decline three months before his death, and he spent that time convalescing at home. According to the official statement, “at the end he expressed gratitude by saying ‘thank you’ and quietly closed his eyes.” A private funeral attended only by close relatives was held, adorned with the yellow roses he so dearly loved.
Anime Legacy
To anime fans, Miwa is best remembered for his voice work in several beloved productions:
- Witch of the Waste in Howl’s Moving Castle
- Moro in Princess Mononoke
- Arceus in Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
- Froy in Harmagedon
- Queen of the Night in Maeterlinck’s Blue Bird
A Career That Defied Convention
Miwa moved to Tokyo after finishing middle school and launched his professional singing career at just 16. He was celebrated for his mastery of classical, chanson, tango, Latin, and jazz styles, and built an early following performing at a chanson café in Ginza. His song “Meke Meke” became a hit in 1957, while his self-penned “Yoitomake no Uta” is widely regarded as his signature work and has been covered by numerous artists over the decades.
Miwa was instantly recognizable by his trademark yellow hair and frequently appeared in drag both on stage and in public life. He was also a prolific author, with books including Shiawase no Oban Furumai.
On screen and stage, he appeared in Takeshi Kitano‘s 2005 film Takeshis’ and gave a celebrated performance in Yukio Mishima‘s stage adaptation of Black Lizard, based on the novel by Ranpo Edogawa.
Honorary Citizen of Tokyo
In 2018, Miwa was honored as an “Honorary Citizen of Tokyo” for “demonstrating a way of life that transcended gender in post-war Japan, and for longstanding contributions in stage, film, television, lectures, and writing.”
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