The Rose of Versailles Andre VA Taro Shigaki Passes Away Aged 70

Taro Shigaki as Tanaka in Black Butler

 

The son of famed Japanese talent Taro Shigaki updated his Twitter account on December 6 announcing that his father had passed away from heart failure at the age of 70 on March 5, 2022. Shigaki’s son Takumi noted in his first Twitter post since March 4 that his father’s health had suddenly deteriorated while visiting Saga Prefecture.

 

 

久しぶりに更新をさせて頂きます。

皆様へ大切な【ご報告】がございます。 pic.twitter.com/JqZUDHIFwG

— 匠 （たくみ） (@kazunetakumi) December 6, 2022

 

 

Taro Shigaki, whose off-stage name was Minoru Kawamura, was born on September 22, 1951, in Tokyo’s Ota Ward. He began his career while still in high school in 1969 in a stage show at Geijutsuza theater in Chiyoda, Tokyo. He began his on-screen career in 1970 in an NHK drama. Throughout his life, Shigaki appeared in many popular TV dramas and films, including 2014’s live-action Black Butler film as Tanaka.

 

Shigaki didn’t shy away from voice roles either, with the actor voicing Andre in the iconic The Rose of Versailles TV anime and the Prince in both the Japanese version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and World Masterpiece Fairy Tales: Swan Lake, both produced at Toei Animation.

 

Profile shot of Taro Shigaki via Caslink production company

 

Later in life, Shigaki was a popular presenter on Japanese variety shows thanks to his infectious laugh and loud voice. Takumi said that his father was a bright and positive person that loved his son and wife more than Takumi could imagine.

 

Takumi noted that both his parents had retired from the industry prior to Shigaki’s passing and that he lives out of the public eye. He thanked everyone who was part of his father’s life and those who have helped his family since Shigaki’s passing.

 

Sources: Takumi on Twitter via Jiji

 

Thumbnail via NHK

 

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Daryl Harding is a Senior Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.