Masako Ikeda is a veteran Japanese voice actress and narrator, born on January 1, 1939, in Tokyo, Japan. She began her career in entertainment as a child actor, making her debut in the 1948 film Wind Child after being introduced to theater through a children's choir in elementary school. She is represented by the talent agency Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyo).

Ikeda is widely recognized for her extensive and varied body of work in anime, narration, and dubbing. Her career is notably defined by her long-standing association with the character Maetel from the Galaxy Express 999 series, a role she has portrayed across numerous productions for decades. This includes the 1978 television anime, the 1979 feature film Adieu Galaxy Express 999, and various later projects such as Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother? and Galaxy Express 999: Emeraldas: The Eternal Warrior, where she also voiced Queen Emeraldas.

In addition to Maetel, Ikeda's filmography includes a wide range of significant roles in classic and contemporary animation. She voiced Reika "Ochōfujin" Ryūzaki in Aim For The Best! (Aim for the Ace!), Marie Paindavoine in The Perrine Story, Laura Murray in Emily of New Moon, and the narrator for several series, including Before Green Gables (Kon'nichiwa Anne) and the 2010 series Katanagatari. Her other credits include Fuyuka Liqueur in the Silent Möbius films, Lynn Jackson in Yukikaze, Michiko Azuma in Harmagedon, Ochou in Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae, Kenken and the Fairy in Kashi no Ki Mokku, and Mrs. March in the 1980 anime Little Women. She has also provided voices for numerous other productions, including The Phoenix: Chapter of Yamato and The Phoenix: Chapter of Ho-o (as Phoenix), Baggy (as Yoko Ishigami), Neko Neko Fantasia (as Saeko Kimura), Student Days (as Kenkichi's sister), Minna Agechau (as Sakurako Mamiya), and The Adventures of the Little Prince (as Anna). Her work also extends to the Patalliro! franchise as Queen Etrange, Maegami-Taro as Tsubametobi, Ushiro no Shōmen Daare as Yoshi Nakane, and the film Confucius as Nanzi.

Beyond anime, Ikeda is celebrated for her work in dubbing foreign films and television series. She is particularly renowned as the official Japanese voice for actress Audrey Hepburn, having dubbed her performances in numerous films, including Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and My Fair Lady. In the tokusatsu genre, she is the long-standing voice of the Mother of Ultra in the Ultraman series.

In recognition of her lengthy and distinguished career and her contributions to the voice acting industry, Ikeda was awarded the Achievement Award at the first Seiyu Awards in 2007. She remained active in the industry into the late 2010s, with roles in projects such as the 2018 film Ultraman Geed: Connect the Wishes! and the 2018 anime series Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love.