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Marcus Delgado · November 2, 2026 · 4 min read Ryuji Nakagi, a Japanese voice actor whose career ran from the black and white anime of the 1960s to NHK documentaries and the Japanese dubs of Hollywood films, has died at 89. His agency, 81 Produce, announced on Monday that he died of pneumonia on 20 October, four days before his 90th birthday.
The notice went up on the 81 Produce website on 2 November. Translated, it says the actor Ryuji Nakagi, whose real name was Fumio Nakamoto, "passed away from pneumonia on October 20, Reiwa 8, at the age of 89." It adds that, "in accordance with the wishes of his family, the funeral was held with relatives only."
Nakagi was born in Tokyo on 24 October 1936 and grew up in Ishikawa Prefecture. He came to voice work through the theatre, passing through several Tokyo stage companies and talent offices before he joined 81 Produce, the Tokyo voice agency that represented him for the rest of his career.
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