Motomu Kiyokawa was a Japanese actor and voice actor who had a career spanning over six decades, from the late 1950s until his passing in 2022. He was born on April 9, 1935, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Before entering the world of voice acting, Kiyokawa's primary passion was stage performance. He began his theatrical training in 1957 at the Haiyuza acting school and was involved in the formation of several theater companies, including Gekidan Theatre Company and Gekidan Dramahouse, in the early 1960s. He joined the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyo) in 1968, an agency he remained with for the rest of his life.

His entry into voice acting was somewhat pragmatic. He made his debut dubbing a soldier in the American television series Combat! in 1962, a move he candidly described as being motivated by a need for additional income. His first role in a Japanese anime came in 1964 with the series Big X. Over the following years, Kiyokawa built an extensive and distinguished career, becoming a familiar presence in anime, video games, and tokusatsu (live-action special effects productions).

Kiyokawa's voice, described as a soft baritone, was particularly suited for older, dignified characters, though he also frequently portrayed villains and monsters. He had a long and notable collaboration with director Hideaki Anno, beginning with the role of the antagonist Gargoyle in the 1990 series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. This partnership continued with what would become one of his most iconic roles, Kōzō Fuyutsuki, the taciturn vice-commander in Anno's landmark series Neon Genesis Evangelion and its subsequent film adaptations, including Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time. Interestingly, the character design for Fuyutsuki was reportedly modeled after Kiyokawa himself. His other significant and recurring roles include the voice of the dignified butler Norman Burg in The Big O, the vampire butler Walter C. Dornez in Hellsing, and the fan-favorite character Tippy, the rabbit who is also the grandfather of a main character, in the Is the order a rabbit?? series and its related films.

Throughout his long career, Kiyokawa amassed a filmography of tremendous breadth. He took on roles in major franchises, such as Tem Ray, the father of the protagonist, in the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and as the ancient and powerful Ultraman King in the Ultraman tokusatsu series. He also voiced characters in a wide variety of other works, including Dr. Chōji Kobayashimaru in KJ File, Takezō Ryūzōji in Planet With, Gain in By the Grace of the Gods, Altorius in Restaurant to Another World, Reizo Kanba in Xam'd: Lost Memories, Laker Randolph in Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars, Yuusuke Kasamatsu in Boku no Bōkūgō, Mah King in Genma Wars: Eve of Mythology, Shimei in Time of Eve, Gntarl in Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time, and as a narrator in Toki no Daichi: Hana no Oukoku no Majo. His work also extended to dubbing foreign productions, where he provided the Japanese voice for characters like the Red Skull in Marvel animated series such as Marvel Future Avengers and Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers.

Beyond his on-screen work, Kiyokawa contributed to the next generation of talent. Together with Reiko Yamada, he helped establish the Dramahouse Voice Actor School D.D., where he served as an instructor. His professionalism and dedication to his craft were well-regarded in the industry.

Motomu Kiyokawa passed away from pneumonia on August 17, 2022, at the age of 87. His immense contribution to anime and voice acting was recognized posthumously when he was awarded a Merit Award at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival in 2023.