Kenji Ohba the Actor Behind Gaban Passes Away at 72, Tokusatsu World Mourns

Kenji Ohba (Doc. IstO

WartaGate.com - The Japanese entertainment industry has once again lost one of its finest figures. Veteran actor Kenji Ohba has reportedly passed away at the age of 72.

Ohba’s name remains deeply attached to the hearts of tokusatsu fans thanks to his role as Retsu Ichijouji in the series Space Sheriff Gavan, which is widely known in Indonesia simply as Gaban.

The sad news was announced by Japan Action Enterprise on Thursday, May 7. In its official statement, the agency said that Kenji Ohba passed away a day earlier after undergoing intensive treatment for an illness he had been suffering from.

The family chose to hold a private funeral attended only by relatives and close friends.

They also expressed gratitude for the support and love fans had shown the actor throughout the years.

Kenji Ohba’s health condition had actually drawn public attention several times before. Back in 2018, he was reportedly hospitalized after experiencing serious health problems. Since then, updates regarding his condition had rarely been heard.

For audiences who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, Gaban was more than just an ordinary superhero character. The series became a favorite show and gained massive popularity in Indonesia.

In fact, the term “Gaban” was once commonly used in daily conversations to describe something extremely large or extraordinary.

Besides being famous for Space Sheriff Gavan, Kenji Ohba also had a long career in the Japanese tokusatsu world. He portrayed Battle Kenya in Battle Fever J and DenziBlue in Denshi Sentai Denziman.

His performances in various superhero series made him one of the most important icons in tokusatsu history.

Kenji Ohba’s career even reached Hollywood. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill, where he played Shiro, the assistant to legendary swordsmith Hattori Hanzo.

The passing of Kenji Ohba sparked many condolences from fellow artists and fans. Actor Ryota Ozawa remembered Ohba as a warm and charismatic senior figure.

Meanwhile, Shoko Nakagawa said that Kenji Ohba’s contribution played a huge role in the growth and popularity of Japanese superhero culture worldwide.

Although he has passed away, the heroic actions and strong characters portrayed by Kenji Ohba will continue to be remembered by fans. The figure of Gaban will also live on in the memories of many people as one of Japan’s legendary heroes.