Japanese Actor Shohei Hino Dies at 75

Tokyo, Nov. 20 (Jiji Press)--Japanese actor Shohei Hino, known for his portrayal of eccentric characters in television series and movies, died on Thursday at the age of 75, his talent agency said Wednesday.

A native of Tokyo, Hino, whose real name was Koichi Nihei, started out as a child actor.

He rose to popularity for his role as Hashiba Hideyoshi in public broadcaster NHK's period drama series "Kunitori Monogatari" in 1973.

He starred in many movies, such as "Emperor." He was the voice of "great uncle" in Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron," which was released last year.

Hino was also known for his decade-long appearance in NHK's travel program "Nippon Judan Kokoro Tabi," which involved the actor exploring different places in Japan on a bicycle.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]