Fuji News Network and Oricon News reported on Friday that actor and narrator Leo Morimoto (birth name Haruyuki Morimoto) died suddenly from unknown causes on September 4, according to his agency. He was 83.
森本レオさんが死去 83歳https://t.co/5qkZq9lYbw pic.twitter.com/Uzp2ITJklh
— オリコンニュース (@oricon) September 11, 2026
Morimoto was born in Nagoya city in Aichi prefecture on February 13, 1943. After graduating from the Nihon University College of Art, he worked as a DJ for a radio station. He appeared in the 1974 live-action NHK series Kiiroi Namida (Yellow-Colored Tears). He also appeared in a supporting role in a large number of TV series such as Long Vacation and Shomuni.
He narrated many commercials and documentaries, having narrated the Thomas & Friends show in Japanese for many years. He worked on 1982 puppet show Records of the Three Kingdoms as the voice of Zhuge Liang. In recent years he was known for his appearances on the Quiz Presen Variety Q-sama!! quiz variety program.
In anime, Morimoto starred as Shitotsugh Lhadatt in the Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise film. He also narrated the Bartender and Dragon Goes House-Hunting anime. He additionally voiced and Captain Erskine in Agatha Christie no Meitantei Poirot to Marple.
Morimoto also narrated the 2007 game Eternal Sonata.
Cover image via depositphotos.com
Sources: Fuji News Network, The Sankei Shimbun, Oricon News
