Yukiji Asaoka was a Japanese entertainer whose career spanned several decades and included work as a singer, stage performer, film actress, and voice actor. Born on July 23, 1935, in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo, she was the daughter of the renowned shin-hanga style painter Shinsui Itō. Her career in the performing arts began in earnest when she joined the famous all-female Takarazuka Revue. From 1952 to 1955, she performed as a member of the Moon Troupe, which helped launch her into a successful career in film, television, and on stage.

While Asaoka was widely celebrated for her live-action roles and her singing career, her contribution to anime voice acting, though limited, was notable for its connection to acclaimed director Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli. Her most prominent voice role came in 1999 when she was cast as Matsuko, the mother in the Studio Ghibli animated film My Neighbors the Yamadas, directed by Isao Takahata. The film is a series of comedic and heartfelt vignettes about an ordinary Japanese family, and Asaoka provided the voice for the well-intentioned but somewhat hapless mother, Matsuko Yamada. This role introduced her to a new generation of animation fans.

Over a decade later, she reunited with director Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli for her final film role. In 2013, she voiced the character Kitanokata in the studio's feature film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. This marked a poignant return to voice acting late in her life. In addition to her work with Studio Ghibli, Asaoka also contributed her voice to an earlier animated production. She played the role of Euterpe in the 1977 animated fantasy film The Mouse and His Child, a Japanese-language version of the American film based on the book by Russell Hoban. This performance demonstrated her versatility and willingness to engage with different styles of animation.

Throughout her long and varied career, Yukiji Asaoka received significant recognition for her contributions to Japanese arts and culture. In 2011, she was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette, a testament to her achievements and lasting impact. Her final public performance was in a 2014 musical, after which she retired from public life. Yukiji Asaoka passed away on April 27, 2017, at the age of 82. Her voice work in films like My Neighbors the Yamadas ensures that her legacy as a performer endures in the world of anime.