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Voice Actor Katsuji Mori Cancels Stage Performance in Reading Event Due to Injury

Voice actor Katsuji Mori announced on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday that he will not perform on stage and will focus on directing the upcoming "Kotoba no Mori" reading performance. The 80-year-old voice actor explained that the reason is that he has been undergoing treatment for spinal canal stenosis, but there have been no signs of improvement. Additionally, he recently fell at home and severely injured his lower back, worsening his condition. Mori added that it is now painful for him to even stand or sit, making it difficult to do a reading performance in his current condition.

Mori stated that there is another scheduled reading performance in July, and for now, he wants to rest his body to be able to perform again in perfect health. 

Reacting to the news coming out about his condition, Mori stated that he is perfectly fine, but he also thanked people for expressing their concern for him.

Mori has voiced many notable characters in anime including Atlas in the 1980 Astro Boy series, Ken Washi the Eagle (G-1) in the Gatchaman series and J.J. Robinson in Gatchaman Crowds, Jean Pierre Polnareff in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OAV, Nephrite in Sailor Moon, Naoto Date in Tiger Mask, Garma Zabi in Mobile Suit Gundam, and Maximilien Robespierre in The Rose of Versailles series, among others. Most recently, Mori voiced the Elder Sakimori in the 2025 Nukitashi the Animation series. 

Under the name of Setsuya Tanaka, he voiced Cyborg 009/Joe Shimamura in the 1968 Cyborg 009 anime, and Gō Mifune in Speed Racer.

Sources: Katsuji Mori's X/Twitter account, livedoor News via Hachima Kikō