Keaton Yamada is the stage name of Shunji Yamada, a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator born on October 25, 1945, in Mikasa, Hokkaidō. He began his career in 1970 and adopted the name Keaton Yamada in the 1980s, a change inspired by the film comedian Buster Keaton. Throughout his career, he was represented by the agency Remax.

Yamada became a prominent figure in anime during the 1970s, often voicing leading and supporting characters in mecha and adventure series. One of his most iconic early roles was Hayato Jin, the pilot of Getter-2, in the classic series Getter Robo (1974) and its sequel Getter Robo G (1975). He also voiced Jyuuzou Naniwa in Chōdenji Robo Combattler V (1975). His work during this decade extended to other major productions, including the role of Albert Heinrich, also known as Cyborg 004, in the 1979 version of Cyborg 009 and Alain de Soissons in The Rose of Versailles (1979). He also provided the voice for the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in the long-running series Ikkyū-san (1975).

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Yamada continued to take on a wide variety of roles. He was the Announcer in Attacker You! (1984) and Dr. Wave in Giant Gorg (1984). He played the antagonist Jamaican Daninghan in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) and Lyumnades Caça in Saint Seiya (1986). In the original video animation (OVA) format, he portrayed Alex Cazerne in the legendary space opera Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1993) and its prequel, Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Spiral Labyrinth. He also voiced the character of Father in the Memories segment "Cannon Fodder" (1995) and Hanpei Hattori in Android Kikaider - The Animation (2000).

Perhaps his most enduring and recognized role was as the Narrator for the beloved and long-running anime series Chibi Maruko-chan, a position he held from the show's start in 1990 until his retirement. His distinctive narration became a signature element of the show. He also served as the narrator for the OVA series Master Keaton (1998).

Yamada's career spanned over five decades, during which he also took on voice work in foreign film dubbing, such as the TBS edition of Galaxy of Terror and the film Runaway Bride. On December 5, 2020, it was announced that he would be stepping down from his role as the narrator for Chibi Maruko-chan in 2021. Two days later, it was confirmed that he would be retiring from voice acting entirely in March 2021. In recognition of his long and distinguished career, he received a Special Achievement Award at the 16th Seiyu Awards in 2022.