Iconic Naruto and Slam Dunk Voice Actor Passes Away
Fans mourn the loss of Tomomichi Nishimura, who lent his voice to some recognizable anime and video game characters, including M. Bison of Street Fighter, Coach Anzai of Slam Dunk, and Onoki of Naruto.
On November 29, 2025, it was reported that Tomomichi Nishimura had passed away at the age of 79.
Nishimura had been undergoing treatment from an unknown illness, which had cause him to pause voice-acting activities on September of this year.
Having been in the industry since 1978, Nishimura is famous for multiple roles, notably as the Third Tsuchikage Onoki from Naruto and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the Narrator of Yu Yu Hakusho, Vice-Admiral T-Bone, Miyagi the Mink doctor in Zou and Wano’s yakuza kingpin Hyogoro of One Piece, and Taro Sakamoto (Sakamoto Days) lookalike or possible inspiration, Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai of Slam Dunk.
In video games, he is the iconic voice behind M. Bison, the main antagonist of the Street Fighters franchise.
His last noteworthy role was in Jujutsu Kaisen as the Zen’in Clan lawyer, Furudate, who appeared in the compilation film, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, containing a recap of the Shibuya Incident (remaining 18 episodes of Season 2) and the first two episodes of the upcoming Season 3, which premiered in Japanese theaters on November 7, 2025.
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