Ryōtarō Sugi is a Japanese singer and actor who began his career in the entertainment industry in 1965. He was born Katsuhiro Yamada on August 14, 1944, in Kobe, Japan. While he has had an extensive and celebrated career in television and film for over six decades, his work as a voice actor is a very recent development.

Sugi is widely known for his numerous leading roles in jidaigeki, or period dramas, on Japanese television. He is recognized for playing the first Suke-san in the long-running series Mito Kōmon and for starring as the lead character in Ōedo Sōsamō from 1970 to 1974. In addition to acting, he is also a successful singer; his song Sukima Kaze sold over a million copies.

Beyond his work in entertainment, Sugi is noted for his extensive philanthropic efforts, for which he has received multiple honors, including the Medal with Purple Ribbon and being designated a Person of Cultural Merit. He holds permanent special appointments from Japanese government ministries for his work in correctional education, health measures, and crime prevention.

Sugi's sole credit as a voice actor to date is in the anime film Shinran Jinsei no Mokuteki. At the age of 80 and after 60 years in show business, he took on the role of the older Shinran, marking his debut in voice acting. His involvement in this project was a significant and unique event in his late career, with no other anime voice roles identified. Due to the singular nature of this credit, there are no recurring collaborations with specific directors or fellow voice actors to report in this context.