Akihiro Miwa
Biography
Akihiro Miwa, born Akihiro Maruyama on May 15, 1935, in Nagasaki, Japan, was a Japanese singer, actor, author, and drag queen. Known professionally by his stage name, he was recognized as a legendary entertainer and a pioneer of gay activism. As a young singer, Miwa popularized androgyny as a fashion statement by fusing the masculine and the feminine into a signal of a new generation. In his acting career, he is known for voicing characters in Hayao Miyazaki films, including Princess Mononoke released in 1997 and Howl's Moving Castle released in 2004. Miwa passed away on June 20, 2026, at the age of 91.
Career overview
Akihiro Miwa, born Akihiro Maruyama on May 15, 1935, in Nagasaki, Japan, was a Japanese singer, actor, author, and drag queen. Known professionally by his stage name, Miwa established himself as a legendary entertainer and a pioneer of gay activism. As a young singer, he popularized androgyny as a fashion statement, fusing the masculine and the feminine into a signal of a new generation.
Throughout his career, Miwa was recognized for his acting work, accumulating known credits in multiple films and television series. On the international stage, he is particularly known as an actor for voicing characters in Hayao Miyazaki films, specifically Princess Mononoke released in 1997 and Howl's Moving Castle released in 2004. His life and career were also documented in the 2013 film Miwa: A Japanese Icon, which highlighted his status as a legendary entertainer and early pioneer of gay activism who rose to prominence as a young singer.
Miwa passed away on June 20, 2026, at the age of ninety-one. His enduring legacy spans music, authorship, drag performance, and voice acting, leaving a distinct mark on Japanese entertainment and cultural history through his multifaceted career and pioneering public persona.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Akihiro Miwa.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash (2025)
- Hanako & Anne (2014) as Narrator
- Miwa: A Japanese Icon (2013) as Himself
- Taro no Tō (2011) Theme Song Performance
- Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life (2009) as Arceus (voice)
- Ariehen ∞ Sekai (2008)
- Yoshitsune (2005) as KI-ichi Hougen (Yoshitune's tutor)
- Takeshis' (2005) as Self
- Howl's Moving Castle (2004) as Witch of the Waste (voice)
- Toy Reanimator (2002)
- Princess Mononoke (1997) as Mrs. Moro (voice)
- The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima (1985) as Self
- La Marie-vison (1983)
- Harmagedon (1983) as Froy (voice)
- The Hunchback of Aomori (1983)
- Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Mytyl's Adventurous Journey (1980) as Queen of the Night (voice)
- The Japanese Belly Button (1977) as Business man / Yakuza / Assistant professor
- The Three Ginza Rascals (1976)
- Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971) as Maya at the Hell
- Woman Gambling Expert: Stakes of a Game of Chance (1970)
- Black Rose Mansion (1969) as Ryuko
- Black Lizard (1968) as Black Lizard (Mrs. Midorikawa)
- The Hunter's Diary (1964) as Singer
- Invitation to the Enchanted Town (1961)
- The Prickly Mouthed Geisha Part 2 (1960)
- Ginza Tomboy (1960) as Jirō Ōsawa (Chanson Singer)
- Unmarried (1959)
- Brutal Battle (1959)
- Ai no Noutan (1959)
- Maria of the Ant Village (1958)
- Woman Unveiled (1958) as Singer
- The Capital of Love (1958)
- City Boys, City Girls (1958)
- The Betrothed (1957)
- Warm Current (1957) as Singer