Hōchū Ōtsuka is a highly esteemed Japanese voice actor and narrator with a career spanning over four decades. Born Yoshitada Ōtsuka on May 19, 1954, in Tsuyama, Japan, he has been active in the industry since 1976 and is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is known for a distinctive, smooth, and deep voice that often brings to life powerful, hot-blooded, or villainous characters.

Ōtsuka's career is marked by an extensive and varied list of major roles in anime television series. He is widely recognized by international audiences for voicing the legendary ninja Jiraiya in the long-running series Naruto and its sequel, Naruto Shippuden. Another iconic role is that of Akira Sendō, the rival point guard in the classic sports anime Slam Dunk. In the globally popular Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, he provides the voice for Sakonji Urokodaki, the mysterious former Hashira who mentors the protagonist. His career began to take shape in the 1980s with roles in seminal mecha series, such as Yazan Gable in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and its sequel, and Gavane Gooney in Turn A Gundam. He also voiced the determined cyborg Chibodee Crocket in Mobile Fighter G Gundam. His versatility extends to villainous roles, such as the sadistic Gates in Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid and the charismatic but terrifying Lieutenant Tsurumi in Golden Kamuy. In a more recent example, he plays the character Kaitō G, the head of the Phantom Thief Academy, in the 2021 anime film Eiga Oshiri Tantei: Star and Moon.

Beyond anime, Ōtsuka is a prolific narrator and has a significant presence in video games and live-action dubbing. His narration work is featured in series such as Durarara!! and Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions. In the video game world, his credits include the character Xigbar in the Kingdom Hearts series and Hakuro in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. He is particularly renowned for his Japanese dubbing of foreign films and actors. He is the regular dubbing voice for actors Jeff Goldblum, Donnie Yen, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, and has also dubbed performances by Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix films.

Throughout his career, Ōtsuka has demonstrated recurring collaborations with major franchises and production houses. His long association with the Gundam franchise is a prime example, having voiced characters across multiple series from the 1980s to the 2000s. He has also taken over roles from other actors, such as voicing Bookman in D.Gray-man Hallow following the passing of Takeshi Aono, showcasing his respected standing within the industry. His performance as the Imagin Deneb in Kamen Rider Den-O is another notable role in the tokusatsu genre. With a career that continues to thrive, Hōchū Ōtsuka remains a foundational and influential figure in Japanese voice acting.