Meet Issey Ogata:

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1952, Ogata began his theatrical career in 1971. In 1980, he began performing solo plays and established his own style of theatrical performance. In 1985, he won the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Art Encouragement Award for New Talent in the Popular Arts Division. His major film credits include Yi Yi (2000), Tony Takitani (2004), Sun (2006), Teacher and Stray Cat (2015), Silence (2017), and Magic Kimono (2017).

Ogata’s Comment for The Manga Master
I didn't know about KITAZAWA Rakuten before reading the script but once I was able to live in the story, he became very familiar to me. He dedicated himself to the work that was in front of him and, even if he pays dearly for it for it, he accepts it. I guess you could say this helped me understand and build a relationship with the character.

(Issey Ogata’s commen: Courtesy of the film’s official website)