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Voice Actress Reiko Katsura Dies at 89
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Talent agency Haikyō announced on Wednesday that voice actress Reiko Katsura died on February 22 due to respiratory failure caused by aspiration pneumonia. She was 89.
A private funeral attended only by close relatives was held.
Katsura was born on February 8, 1937 in Fukuoka Prefecture. She was part of the KBC Troupe and Bungaku-za Buzoku Engeki Kenkyūjo before joining Haikyō in 1964.
Katsura was the original voice of the character Ikura Namino (as well as Kaori Ōzora and Rika) in the longest-running television anime in Japan, Sazae-san. She also voiced O-Jirō in Shin Obake no Q-Taro, and the small dice-shaped robot Omo-chama in the Yatterman series and film.
Katsura voiced Sayo-chan in the 1975 anime Ikkyū-san, and its two 15-minute side story films Ikkyū-san to Yancha-hime and Ikkyū-san: Haru da! Yancha-hime. Katsura also voiced Kiyoshi Shimizu in Fuku-chan, Harumi in Dororon Enma-kun, Alois in A Dog of Flanders, Kasumi in Cat Eyed Boy, and Namino Daisuke in Akado Suzunosuke.
Sources: Haikyō website, Comic Natalie
