Kōsei Tomita was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on February 4, 1936, in Tokyo Prefecture. He passed away on September 27, 2020, at the age of 84. His birth name was Kōkichi Tomita. Throughout his extensive career, he was affiliated with talent management firms such as Aoni Production and Production Baobab.

Tomita's career in voice acting began in 1956 and spanned over six decades, during which he became known for his deep and versatile voice. He is perhaps most widely recognized as the first voice actor to portray the beloved character Doraemon in the original 1973 anime series, a role he played for the first thirteen episodes. Another signature role was Shunsaku Ban, also known as Mustachio, Higeoyaji, or Daddy Walrus, a character who appears in numerous anime and manga works by Osamu Tezuka.

His filmography is extensive and includes many iconic anime series from the 1960s through the 2000s. Some of his notable roles include Dr. Hell in Mazinger Z, Professor Saotome in the Getter Robo series, Sniff in Moomin, Konaki-Jijii in the first GeGeGe no Kitarō series, and Professor Gilmore in Cyborg 009. He also lent his voice to the role of Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Hound series and Bouleuse Gotho in Armored Trooper Votoms. In addition to these, he played numerous other characters across a wide range of series, including Lupin III, Maison Ikkoku, Oishinbo, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

Beyond anime, Tomita was prolific in the field of dubbing, providing the Japanese voice for many prominent foreign actors, including Ernest Borgnine, Orson Welles, Charles Durning, Burt Young, and Lee J. Cobb. A notable live-action dubbing role was Mario, portrayed by Bob Hoskins, in the Japanese version of the Super Mario Bros. movie. His work also extended to video games, such as voicing General Armquist in the Japanese version of Destroy All Humans!.

In recognition of his long-standing contributions and achievements in the voice acting industry, Kōsei Tomita was honored with an Achievement Award at the 3rd Seiyu Awards. He also played the role of Santa Claus in the 1996 two-part original video animation, Santa no Yama: Yōsei no Mori.