Akira Kamiya is a highly influential Japanese voice actor born on September 18, 1946, in Yokohama, Japan. He began his career in 1970 while studying at the Theatre Echo, making his anime debut in Mahō no Mako-chan. His first major regular role came soon after as Sasuke Yashima in Akakichi no Eleven. Kamiya later founded his own talent agency, Saeba Shoji, named after one of his most iconic characters.

Kamiya rose to prominence during the 1970s in the super robot anime genre, where his powerful and dynamic performances earned him the nickname "Screaming Kamiya". He voiced a multitude of leading heroes, including Ryoma Nagare in the original Getter Robo and Getter Robo G, Akira Hibiki in Brave Raideen, and Kazuya Ryūzaki in Tōshō Daimos. This era established him as a defining voice of the genre, leading to frequent appearances in the Super Robot Wars video game series.

The 1980s saw Kamiya's career expand further as he took on lead roles in high-profile adaptations of Weekly Shōnen Jump manga. He voiced the titular hero in Kinnikuman, the stoic martial artist Kenshiro in Fist of the North Star, and the charismatic "City Hunter" Ryo Saeba in City Hunter. His versatility was also on display in Rumiko Takahashi's works, where he portrayed the wealthy and arrogant Shutaro Mendo in Urusei Yatsura and the cool tennis coach Shun Mitaka in Maison Ikkoku. Another significant role from this period was the ace pilot Roy Focker in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

In 1996, Kamiya began his long-running portrayal of the bumbling yet sometimes brilliant private detective Kogoro Mouri in the massively popular series Detective Conan. He voiced the character for 13 years, appearing in over 500 episodes, 13 films, and several OVAs before stepping down from the role in 2009.

Beyond his iconic anime roles, Kamiya's career includes a wide range of other work. He has provided Japanese dubbing for foreign actors, most notably for Pierce Brosnan in the television series Remington Steele and in the James Bond films GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies. He also served as a long-time narrator for commercials and variety shows, including over 20 years for Tokyo Dome City Attractions. In the music realm, he was a bass player in the voice actor group Slapstick and released solo material.

Throughout his career, Kamiya has been recognized with numerous accolades, most notably winning the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize for Best Voice Actor a record ten times. His performances were awarded for roles such as Akira Hibiki, Arthur, Shutaro Mendo, Kenshiro, and Ryo Saeba. In 2017, he was ranked 22nd in a TV Asahi special featuring a poll of 200 popular voice actors.