Hitoshi Takagi was a Japanese voice actor and actor, born in Tokyo on February 26, 1925. He began his career in 1963 and became affiliated with the theatre company Gekidan Kumo the following year. Later in his career, he was a member of Engeki Shuudan En before joining the talent management firm 81 Produce in 2000. He passed away on February 11, 2004, at the age of 78.

Takagi possessed a distinctive, warm, and resonant voice that made him a sought-after narrator and a natural fit for authoritative or paternal figures. His most iconic and enduring role is that of the titular creature Totoro in Hayao Miyazaki's beloved Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro (1988). This performance cemented his place in animation history.

Beyond Totoro, his voice was a familiar presence in numerous classic anime series and films. He provided the narration for several entries in the Galaxy Express 999 franchise, including the original 1978 television series, as well as films like Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother and Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior. He also voiced the character Triter Bycok Heador in the 1982 film Arcadia of My Youth and its sequel. His other significant anime roles included the character Silver in Pink Mizu Dorobō Ame Dorobō (1990), Moominpapa in the 1969 Moomin anime series, the president of the Haidamachi in the 1988 film Fair, then Partly Piggy, and Kogoro Akechi in Lupin III: Secret Files.

His work extended beyond animation into live-action film and video games. He had roles in notable live-action films such as Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (1957) and Juzo Itami's Tampopo (1985). In the video game world, he was the voice of the character Shun Di in the Virtua Fighter series, including Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter 3. Hitoshi Takagi left an indelible mark on the Japanese entertainment industry, with his legacy defined by the gentle power he brought to one of anime's most beloved characters.