Hiroshi Arikawa was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on November 2, 1940, in Kagoshima Prefecture. He began his career on stage, first joining the Gekidan Kumo theater company in 1965 before transferring to Engekishudan En in 1975, where he remained affiliated for the rest of his life. His extensive career spanned both live-action performance and voice acting for animation and foreign film dubbing until his passing on October 16, 2011, due to acute respiratory failure.

Arikawa possessed a distinguished and authoritative vocal quality that made him a frequent choice for roles involving elders, mentors, and figures of power. Among his most recognized anime roles was the immortal and god-like martial arts master Hayato Furinji, known as Jijii, in the long-running series KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple. He also provided the voice for the mysterious and powerful Mr. Outside, whose real name is Saizo Ato, in the film Eden of the East: Paradise Lost. His filmography includes the role of Toshiakira Kawaji in the historical drama Bakumatsu no Spasibo and the character Cal Clagg in the 1990 animated film Hashire! Shiroi Ōkami. Other notable anime voice roles include Richard in Monster and Hoody in Ergo Proxy.

Beyond anime, a significant portion of Arikawa's career was dedicated to dubbing foreign films and television series into Japanese. He was the regular Japanese voice of actor Ian McKellen in numerous films. His dubbing work is extensive and includes voicing Hans Gruber in the TV Asahi edition of Die Hard, Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, and characters in major animated features such as Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas and Chef Auguste Gusteau in Ratatouille. His final film role was the voice of Hassan in Berserk: The Golden Age Arc, released posthumously in 2012.