Kaneko was a versatile character actor, playing roles ranging from comedic buffoons to hardened yakuza bosses.

He is especially known for his role as Yoshio Yamamori in the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series.

[3] Kaneko started his acting career at the Bungakuza theater troupe in 1946.

[2] In 1952, he appeared in the Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru.

[3] He was the host of a cooking program Kaneko Nobuo no Tanoshi Yushoku from 1987 to 1995 on TV Asahi.