Toshiko Sawada is a legendary Japanese voice actress and narrator, born on September 14, 1936, in Fukuoka Prefecture. She began her career in 1964 after training at the Tokyo Announce Academy and the Bungakuza Theatre Institute. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has become renowned for her deep, commanding voice and her ability to portray a wide range of strong characters. She is a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyo).

Sawada's anime filmography is extensive and dates back to the early days of television animation. Some of her many roles from the 1970s and 1980s include Triton's mother in Umi no Triton, the narrator for Heidi, Girl of the Alps, Akiko Tomoe in Judo Sanka, Ranko Midorikawa in Aim for the Ace!, and Kamaria Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam. She also provided narration for series such as Amada Anime Series: Super Mario, Anime Sanjushi, and Seton Dōbutsuki. In the 1987 series Zillion: Burning Night, she voiced the character Admiss. Her later anime roles include Queen Lillian in the Japanese dubs of the Shrek films, Baba in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Setsuko Yasumori in Shiki, and Tiffany Evergarden in Violet Evergarden. She appeared in The Girl in Twilight as Amane Tsuchimiya and in Hello WeGo! as Michiyo Akehi. In 2024, she voiced a character in Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!.

Beyond anime, Sawada is one of the most prolific voice actresses in the field of Japanese dubbing (fukikae) for foreign films and TV series. She is the regular Japanese dubbing voice for several acclaimed actresses, including Judi Dench (as M in the James Bond series), Helen Mirren (in the Fast & Furious franchise), Anjelica Huston, and Lily Tomlin. Her work in this area includes voicing Maleficent in Disney's Sleeping Beauty and the Kingdom Hearts video game series.

In addition to her voice work, Sawada has also worked as an instructor at the CHK Voice Actor Center, helping to train the next generation of talent. A unique and beloved part of her legacy is her voice for the automated platform announcements at JR Ueno Station in Tokyo, which earned her the affectionate nickname "Ueno Obasan" (Auntie Ueno). Even in her late eighties, she remains an active and vibrant presence in the Japanese entertainment industry.