Daisaku Shinohara was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on July 4, 1933, in Hokkaido, Japan. He passed away on February 1, 2016, at the age of 82. Throughout his career, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society before moving to 81 Produce, where he remained until his death.

Shinohara's career as a voice actor began in the late 1960s, with some of his earliest roles including a play-by-play announcer in the 1969 anime Attack No. 1. Over the following decades, he built an extensive filmography, taking on numerous supporting and character roles. In the 1970s, he voiced announcers in series such as Dokaben and Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3. His work continued through the 1990s and into the 2000s with appearances in popular series like Detective Conan, where he played Tomoyasu Kanazawa in 1997, and Master Keaton as Ilia's father in 1998.

In the 2000s, Shinohara remained active, voicing characters in a wide array of anime. He appeared as a grandfather in Heat Guy J, Chouro in Wagamama Fairy: Mirmo de Pon!, and Ojin in Croket!. In 2004, he had roles in Kyo Kara Maoh! as a baker and in tactics as a village headman. The following year, he voiced a president in Oh My Goddess!, Kawaji in Starship Operators, a mayor in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and Okehazama in Magical Canan. He voiced the character Paradise Teacher, known as Gokuraku-Sensei, in the 2006 anime series Pururun! Shizuku-chan, a role that continued into its second season, Pururun! Shizuku-chan Aha. His later roles included a senator in El Cazador de la Bruja, a principal in Gurren Lagann, and various characters in series such as Golgo 13, Blade of the Immortal, and Hyouge Mono, where he voiced both Kuroda Yoshitaka and Hasegawa Tōhaku. His final anime role was as a shopkeeper in The Flowers of Evil in 2013.

Beyond anime, Shinohara was also highly active in dubbing foreign films and television series, a field known as fukikaim in Japan. A significant achievement in this area was his long-standing role as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, in the Japanese-language dubs of the Harry Potter film series, including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. His other dubbing work included roles in series such as The West Wing, Spin City, and ER.

In addition to on-screen voice work, Shinohara had a distinguished career in radio, particularly in narration and reading programs for NHK. He was the narrator for long-running series of literary readings, including works by authors such as Futabatei Shimei, Lu Xun, and Masuji Ibuse. He also provided narration for television programs like News Station and Kaiketsu Lion-Maru, as well as voice-over work for documentaries and information shows. His versatility extended to video games, with roles in Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song, Tales of Xillia, and its sequel.