Kazuko Ute, a Tokyo-born voice actress, passed away on November 17, 2011, at the age of 84 due to a stroke. She was best known in the anime industry for her starring role as Goku in the 1967 television anime series Goku no Daibōken. Beyond her work in anime, Ute was a well-regarded kamishibai, or paper theater, storyteller and teacher. She also contributed to children's entertainment by helping create and perform in a successful line of children's audio books, including the Kisetsu wo Kanaderu Yosei Tachi No Utaasobi series which presented popular children's tales.