Eiko Hisamura
Description
Eiko Hisamura, born June 13, 1954, in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a veteran Japanese voice actress and stage actress. She is the real name of the performer widely recognized by her maiden name, Eiko Yamada, which she used professionally for many years both before and after her marriage. Her career began in 1977, and she has been affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce since 2015, after previous associations with Aoni Production and periods as a freelance artist.
Hisamura is prominently known for her extensive work in Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater television series, where she is the actress with the most appearances. Her casting as the titular character in Anne of Green Gables in 1979 marked a significant start to this association, a role she secured over other candidates due to director Isao Takahata's vision for the character. She went on to voice other leading roles in the franchise, including Jo March in both Tales of Little Women and Little Women II: Jo's Boys. Her versatility is also demonstrated by her performance as the antagonist Lavinia Herbert in A Little Princess, a role that was so effective it garnered negative reactions from viewers at the time.
Beyond the World Masterpiece Theater, her filmography is diverse, spanning several decades and genres. She voiced the young Taro Misaki in the original Captain Tsubasa and provided the voice for the recurring character Mai in the Dragon Ball franchise, a role she has reprised in recent films such as Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Her ability to portray young male characters is also evident in roles like Shotaro Kaneda in Tetsujin 28-go and the titular dog in Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin. In 1988, she took a brief hiatus from voice work due to pregnancy, which led to her character in the series Biriken, Gariken, being written out of the show for a period. Her later career includes voice work in video games, such as Nastasha Romanenko in Metal Gear Solid, and Japanese dubbing of foreign films and television series. In recognition of her long-standing contributions to the industry, she received a Merit Award at the 18th Seiyu Awards in 2024.
Hisamura is prominently known for her extensive work in Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater television series, where she is the actress with the most appearances. Her casting as the titular character in Anne of Green Gables in 1979 marked a significant start to this association, a role she secured over other candidates due to director Isao Takahata's vision for the character. She went on to voice other leading roles in the franchise, including Jo March in both Tales of Little Women and Little Women II: Jo's Boys. Her versatility is also demonstrated by her performance as the antagonist Lavinia Herbert in A Little Princess, a role that was so effective it garnered negative reactions from viewers at the time.
Beyond the World Masterpiece Theater, her filmography is diverse, spanning several decades and genres. She voiced the young Taro Misaki in the original Captain Tsubasa and provided the voice for the recurring character Mai in the Dragon Ball franchise, a role she has reprised in recent films such as Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Her ability to portray young male characters is also evident in roles like Shotaro Kaneda in Tetsujin 28-go and the titular dog in Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin. In 1988, she took a brief hiatus from voice work due to pregnancy, which led to her character in the series Biriken, Gariken, being written out of the show for a period. Her later career includes voice work in video games, such as Nastasha Romanenko in Metal Gear Solid, and Japanese dubbing of foreign films and television series. In recognition of her long-standing contributions to the industry, she received a Merit Award at the 18th Seiyu Awards in 2024.