Toshiya Ueda was a Japanese voice actor born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 24, 1933. A graduate of Waseda University's Faculty of Literature, he began his career in theater before transitioning to voice acting in the 1960s. He was affiliated with the talent agency 81 Produce at the time of his death on February 8, 2022, at the age of 88.

Ueda's career spanned over six decades, during which he became known for his distinctive baritone voice and his ability to portray a wide range of characters, from wise elders and authority figures to comedic and quirky roles. He was particularly recognized for his work in dubbing foreign films and television series, providing Japanese voices for numerous Hollywood actors and becoming a familiar presence to Japanese audiences. He was also a regular in tokusatsu superhero productions, providing voice work for series such as Choushinsei Flashman, Hikari Sentai Maskman, and Gekisou Sentai Carranger.

His extensive anime filmography includes many notable roles. He voiced Silas Hobbs in Little Lord Fauntleroy, Vilk in The Promised Neverland, and Kakugen Yokoyama in Kennel Tokorozawa. He was also the voice of Giancarlo Nini in Star Dust, the Warden in Riki-Oh: Tōkatsu Jigoku, and Georges Lazare in Vampire Wars. Other roles included Ran Ōtei in Akai Hayate, Noriaki Watanabe in Midoriyama Kōkō Kōshien-hen, and the Melon King in Osomatsu-kun: Suika no Hoshi kara Konnichiwa Zansu!. He was perhaps best known to modern audiences as the long-running voice of Tomio Grandpa Tommy Tamura in Prince Mackaroo and as the Japanese voice of Owl in various Winnie the Pooh productions, a role he performed for over thirty years. He also voiced characters in classic series like Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Lupin III, and Pokémon, and took over the role of Nefertari Cobra in One Piece in 2011. In his later years, he continued to work, with one of his final roles being Vilk in the 2021 second season of The Promised Neverland.

Throughout his long and prolific career, Toshiya Ueda earned deep respect within the industry for his professionalism, versatility, and the warmth he brought to his characters, leaving a lasting legacy in Japanese animation and dubbing.