Sir Topham Hatt Japanese voicer Takeshi Aono dies

Takeshi Aono, best known to Thomas fans as the second voice of The Fat Controller in the Japanese version of the TV Series has died.

Aono had an extensive career as a voice actor in the nation of Japan, responsible for roles in many anime cartoons and shows such as Dragonball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.

The 75 year old who passed away in the city of Hokkaido due to cerebral infarcation, took on the reigns of Sir Topham Hatt's vocal performance during the late 20th and early 21st Century.

He replaced Kōhei Miyauchi to star in the Fifth to Eighth Seasons before leaving the show in the Ninth Series to hand the role to Rokuro Naya, who still voices the railway controller to this day.

One of his most noticebale dubs was translating the character of Doctor Emmett Brown, originally portrayed by Christopher Lloyd in the Back to the Future films.

Thanks to Anime Boy for the alert.