First mentioned as a prominent 4-dan player, Kurata doesn&#039;t make an appearance until later in the story as a 6-dan. Despite being only in his early twenties, Kurata (together with Ogata 9-dan) is widely considered as one of Japan&#039;s best professionals and has been the challenger for multiple titles (although he has not win a single one). One of Kurata&#039;s most prominent abilities is his keen 6th sense, something he believe that above all else, will present solution to the problem. 

Although good-natured, Kurata is overbearingly confident and takes a liking to signing autographs, which he often adds would-have titles to his names and is fond of passing around to fans (or who he thinks his fan, like Hikaru - much to the boy&#039;s dismay). One of the rare successful Japanese players in international Go tournaments, Kurata is referred to as &quot;Japan&#039;s Ahn Tae-seon&quot;, another similarly famous young player in Korea (later selected as team manager for Korea representatives in the Hokuto cup). Ironically, Kurata holds a rivalry with Ahn Tae-seon in person after he lost to the Korean player in the Samsung cup&#039;s quarter final (more precisely, when Ahn Tae-seon amiably and rather bluntly asked him if he had been in a slump) and is particularly competitive when the other man is concerned. 

With a two-tone hairstyle and a streak of immaturity, Hikaru Shindou finds an old Go board with a hidden surprise - trapped within the Go Board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master! In the blink of an eye, Sai becomes part of Hikaru's consciousness and soon begins to learn the true essence behind this ancient game of skill and strategy. 
 
(Source: Viz Media)

__Height:__165 cm  

[Profile (Aoni)](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/iwata-mitsuo.html) | [Official blog](https://ameblo.jp/i-kanata/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mitsuo_iwata_77) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mitsuo.iwata.77/) | [Wiki (en)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuo_Iwata) | [Wiki (jp)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/岩田光央)

Older brother of [AKIKO](https://anilist.co/staff/105271/), uncle of voice actress [Haruki Iwata](https://anilist.co/staff/126658/Haruki-Iwata), formerly married to voice actress [Rikako Aikawa](https://anilist.co/staff/96840/).

On March 28, 2025, he and Rikako Aikawa announced their divorce via a [joint announcement](https://x.com/mitsuo_iwata_77/status/1905817258972295680) on Twitter.

Non-anime roles:~!• Itsuki Takeuchi in "Initial D Arcade Stage 4" (VG)
• Itsuki Takeuchi in "Initial D: Special Stage" (VG)
• Kusanagi in "The King of Fighters 2002" (VG)
• Kusanagi in "The King of Fighters 2003" (VG)
• Kyle Bean in "Super Robot Wars Original Generations" (VG/PS2)
• Mike Sounders XIII in "Super Robot Wars Alpha 3"
• Negimaru in ".hack//G.U. Vol.1 Saitan" (VG)
• Peter Pan in "Kingdom Hearts" (VG)
• Peter Pan in "Peter Pan" (Disney animated movie)
• Sean in "Street Fighter III 3rd Strike"
• Silverbolt in "Beast Wars" (Japanese Dub)
• Syo Kirishima in "The King of Fighters '99 Evolution" (VG)
• Syo Kirishima in "The King of Fighters 2000" (VG)
• Yeager in "Tales of Vesperia" (VG)
• Takeuchi Itsuki in "Initial D Kuroi Inazuma: Aratanaru Fuhai Densetsu " (Drama CD)
• Zephel in "Angelique Duet" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique Etoile" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique Special 2" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique Special" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique Trois" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique" (VG)
• Zephel in "Angelique: Tenkuu no Requiem" (VG)
• Zephel in "Fushigi no Kuni no Angelique" (VG)!~

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Gideão Campos Gonçalves Ferreira, better known as Gideão Ferreira, is a Brazilian actor and voice actor. He is married to the voice actress [Marcelina Fialho](https://anilist.co/staff/317302/).

After stumbling across a haunted Go board, irresponsible Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player has taken up residence in his consciousness. In his pursuit of the "Divine Move," Fujiwara-no-Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped interest and genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed Go prodigy Akira Toya!
 
(Source: Viz Media)
 Note: There are 197 chapters total in the original release.

Hikaru is given a phone call asking him to appear in the Japan/China/Korea Junior's Tournament but he finds out he will have to take place in a preliminary tournament to choose Japan's three contestants. Upon discussing this with Akira, he discovers that Akira has already been chosen for the tournament and will not be taking place in the preliminaries. Hikaru then decides not to visit Akira's Go Salon until he takes his place on the team with Akira. That may be tougher than originally planned, as not only does Hikaru have to battle with old friends for one of two coveted spots, but he may have a new challenger, in a promising player from the Kansai Go Institute. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

Atsushi Kurata