Kei Tomiyama was a highly influential Japanese actor and voice actor, born Kunichika Tomiyama on October 31, 1938, in Anshan, Manchukuo. He began his entertainment career in theater, joining the Toho Children's Theatre Company during high school and later studying at Nihon University's College of Art before leaving to pursue practical training. His voice acting debut came in 1957 with a radio drama role, though he continued to work in various jobs to support himself as voice acting was not yet a full-time profession. He was active in the industry from 1960 until his death from pancreatic cancer on September 25, 1995, in Tokyo. In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously awarded the Special Achievement Award at the first Seiyu Awards in 2007.

Tomiyama's career was marked by a distinctively tender and versatile voice that allowed him to portray a wide range of characters, from heroic leads to comedic figures and from young boys to elderly men. His first starring role came in 1968 as Sabu in the television animation Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae. He became a defining voice of 1970s and 1980s anime, affiliated with talent agencies such as Aoni Production and Production Baobab during his career.

He is best known for several iconic roles. He played the heroic Naoto Date, the wrestler behind the mask, in Tiger Mask starting in 1969. He was the original voice of the passionate crew member Susumu Kodai in the seminal Space Battleship Yamato series, beginning in 1974, and its various film sequels such as Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, Be Forever Yamato, and Final Yamato. He voiced Duke Fleed, also known as Daisuke Umon, the protagonist of the super robot series UFO Robo Grendizer from 1975. His comedic talents were showcased as the narrator and various characters like Odatebuta in the long-running Time Bokan series, including its spin-off Gyakuten Ippatsuman where he played the hero Sokkyū Gō/Ippatsuman.

In the 1980s, he took on the role of the cowardly but lovable Nezumi Otoko in the third GeGeGe no Kitarō series in 1985. He also provided the voice for the brilliant and democratic strategist Yang Wen-Li in the seminal space opera Legend of the Galactic Heroes and its associated films. He was the first voice of the beloved grandfather Tomozo Sakura in the long-running series Chibi Maruko-chan starting in 1990, a role he held until his death.

His extensive filmography also includes a vast number of other notable characters across television, film, and OVA. These include Toshiya Dan in Uchū Taitei God Sigma, Gakusha in The Adventures of Gamba, Tochirō Ōyama in Arcadia of My Youth and its sequel, Susumu Karasawa in the Nine series, Ban Banjou in Samurai Giants, Sa Jogo in Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger, Zhuge Liang in the Sangokushi anime films and series, Michael in What's Michael?, Mankichi Togawa in Otoko Ippiki Gaki Daisho, SL-man in Soreike! Anpanman, and roles in productions such as Gdleen, Adieu Galaxy Express 999, Obatarian, Michite Kuru Toki no Mukō ni, Licca-chan to Yamaneko Hoshi no Tabi, Yōsei-Ō, Leda - The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko, Watashi to Watashi: Futari no Lotte, Étoile de la Seine, Arrow Emblem Grand Prix no Taka, 80 Days Around the World With Willy Fog, Toki-iro Kaima, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, Hello! Spank, Dragon's Heaven, Ultraman Kids, Sugata Sanshiro, Kaitō Lupin - 813 no Nazo, Animation Kikō Marco Polo no Bōken, Animal 1, Ganbare!! Tabuchi-kun!!, The Ultraman, and Kyōfu Densetsu: Kaiki! Frankenstein.

Due to his premature death, many of his ongoing roles were taken over by other voice actors, a testament to his unique presence and the lasting impact of his characterizations. His successors include Kōichi Yamadera, who took on Susumu Kodai, and Takeshi Aono, who inherited the role of Tomozō Sakura in Chibi Maruko-chan. Kei Tomiyama's legacy is that of a foundational figure in voice acting, whose body of work continues to be celebrated by fans and peers alike.