Yasuo Yamada

Yasuo Yamada (山田 康雄, Yamada Yasuo, 10 September 1932 – 19 March 1995) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator.[1]

Yamada left the faculty of literature of Waseda University, and had performed in many stage, radio, and television productions.

He appeared in performances of plays by Hisashi Inoue. His most famous role was Arsène Lupin III from the Lupin III series, starting in 1971 and ending in 1995. He was also the official Japanese dubbing voice actor of Clint Eastwood and Jean-Paul Belmondo. On March 19, 1995 Yasuo Yamada died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 62.[2] At the end of the credits of the film Farewell to Nostradamus (the first Lupin film without Yamada), there is a tribute: "To Yasuo Yamada, Eternal Lupin the Third: Thank you!" (the message was removed from the first angle of the English language DVD release by Funimation).

In the spring of 1993, Yamada was hospitalised for hypokalemia. From around this time, he became ill and was repeatedly hospitalised and discharged due to difficulty walking. More and more recordings in his later years were done sitting down. At 3:30 pm on February 17, 1995, he collapsed at home due to a brain hemorrhage and was transferred to Tokyo Metropolitan Ebara Hospital. His family tended to him every day, but Yamada's condition suddenly worsened after they were withdrawn on the night of the 18th, and he died at 6:35 am on March 19. His remains were placed in Tama Cemetery.

Since Yamada's death, Kanichi Kurita has taken over the role of Lupin the Third.