Hiroshi Ito is a veteran Japanese voice actor and narrator, born on March 15, 1933, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce. Ito graduated from Seinan Gakuin University and initially began his entertainment career as a television actor during the early days of the medium. From the first half of the 1970s, he transitioned into voice acting, leveraging his distinctive low baritone voice to establish a successful career in dubbing foreign films and television dramas, as well as providing narration for documentaries.

His voice is characterized as a baritone, and he is frequently cast in roles depicting mature, authoritative, or elderly men. This vocal quality has made him the regular Japanese dubbing voice for Western actors such as Brian Cox and James Cromwell. In addition to his extensive dubbing work, he is also well-known for his documentary narration, particularly for NHK historical and geographical series, and for providing the Japanese voice for former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in various programs.

Ito has built an impressive and lengthy filmography across anime, OVA, and video games. Some of his most recognizable anime roles include the manipulative elder Danzo Shimura in Naruto Shippuden and the mentor figure in Hayao Miyazaki's film Castle in the Sky. In accordance with the roles provided, his credits include Nicolas Flamel in the 2018 series Ulysses: Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight, Kuroiwa in the 1997 animated film Psycho Diver: Soul Siren, Talgia Hawkray in the 2018 fantasy anime Lost Song, and Souichirou Akagi in the 1988 television series F.

Beyond anime, Ito's body of work is dominated by his contributions as a voice actor in Japanese dubs of international films and television series. His dubbing filmography is extensive, spanning several decades and including acclaimed performances. He has provided Japanese voices for characters played by actors such as Michael Caine (in The Dark Knight and Inception), Anthony Hopkins (in The Rite), Alan Arkin (in Going in Style and Dumbo), and Derek Jacobi (in The King's Speech and Cinderella), among many others. He has also lent his voice to numerous video games, including roles in the Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and Asura's Wrath series.