Tomo Sakurai was a prominent Japanese actress and singer, highly regarded as a pioneer of the idol voice actor movement in the 1990s. Born Tomoe Hatta on September 10, 1971, in Chiba Prefecture, she began her entertainment career in 1987 as a member of the idol group Lemon Angel before transitioning to voice acting.

Sakurai made her official voice acting debut in 1993. She rose to prominence with her first major leading role in 1994 as Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7, a character she would reprise in various projects and for whom she performed numerous songs. The mid-1990s marked a period of significant success, with Sakurai starring as the titular character Meimi Haneoka in Saint Tail in 1995, and as Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin in 1996. Her role as the protagonist Doll Licca in Super Doll Licca-chan in 1998 further cemented her status as a leading voice actress of the era.

Throughout her career, Sakurai built an extensive and varied filmography. She voiced Marin in Akazukin Cha-Cha and Shayla Shayla in El-Hazard, both in the mid-1990s. In the following decades, she continued to take on notable roles, including Chigusa Sakai in Shakugan no Shana, Azusa Miura in Idolmaster: Xenoglossia, and Hinowa in Gintama. For a new generation of fans, she was widely recognized as the voice of the Sinnoh League Champion Cynthia, known in Japanese as Shirona, in the Pokémon anime series, a role she played from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl onwards.

Her career also included a wide range of roles in original video animations and video games. These include Marcie Shima in Yamato 2520, Patty in Gall Force: The Revolution, Karin Son in Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, Noël-sensei in Itsudatte My Santa!, Yasuko Fuzuchi in Eight Clouds Rising, and Rei Yūki in DNA Sights 999.9, among many others.

In addition to her voice work, Sakurai maintained a successful music career, releasing several albums that charted on the Oricon charts. She was known for her ability to perform as both a character and a solo artist, contributing theme songs for numerous anime series. In 2016, she announced her retirement from voice acting due to growing difficulties with her voice, but she returned to the industry in 2019. Tomo Sakurai passed away on August 13, 2025, at the age of 53. Her legacy is defined by her pioneering role in the voice acting industry and the beloved characters she brought to life over three decades.