Hakuzan Kanda is a Japanese voice actor who is also a professional kōdan storyteller, a traditional Japanese narrative performer. He was born in Tokyo on June 4, 1983. His entry into voice acting came through his established career in storytelling, marked by a notable lead role in the 2024 anime film Kurayukaba.

Kanda's voice acting career began with minor roles before landing his first major part. He provided voices for characters in the 2018 television anime series Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan. He also had a small role in the 2018 animated film Mirai. His first leading role in an animated feature came in 2024 when he voiced the protagonist, Sōtarō, in the film Kurayukaba. This role was a significant challenge for him, as he had to adapt his performance style from stage storytelling to the specific demands of voice acting for animation.

Kanda's involvement in Kurayukaba came about through a personal connection. He was introduced to the film's director, Shigeyoshi Tsukahara, by Raikō Sakamoto, a benshi (silent film narrator) and a senior colleague whom Kanda deeply respects. Initially hesitant to accept the role out of respect for professional voice actors, he ultimately agreed due to Sakamoto's strong recommendation.

This project also led to a notable on-screen collaboration. In Kurayukaba, Kanda co-starred with voice actress Tomoyo Kurosawa, who played the heroine Tanne. This was a reunion for the two, as they had previously worked together on the series Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan four years earlier.

Kanda's approach to voice acting is distinct from his work as a kōdan storyteller. He views the two professions as separate, believing that a stage narrator's goal is not to give one hundred and twenty percent at all times, unlike the concentrated expression required of a voice actor. For his role as Sōtarō, he consciously set aside his usual storyteller's techniques to build the character's voice from the ground up, trusting the director's guidance. However, he acknowledges that his background inevitably informs his acting, particularly in his attention to the rhythm of dialogue and his focus on the impact of a story's conclusion, a principle central to kōdan.