Taichirō Hirokawa was a Japanese voice actor and narrator born on February 15, 1939, in Tokyo. He began his career in the early 1960s and remained active until his death on March 3, 2008, in Shibuya, Tokyo, from cancer at the age of 69. A graduate of Nihon University's College of Art, Hirokawa worked as a freelance actor and became known for his distinctive voice across both anime and foreign film dubbing.

Hirokawa is best remembered for several iconic leading roles in classic anime from the 1970s and 1980s. He portrayed Mamoru Kodai, the level-headed older brother of the protagonist, in the seminal space opera series Space Battleship Yamato and its subsequent films, a role that significantly raised his profile. He also took on the title role of the cosmic hero in Captain Future. In the mystery adventure series Sherlock Hound, he provided the voice for the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. His film work includes voicing the antagonistic god Phoebus Abel in the 1988 feature Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth.

Hirokawa has multiple notable connections to the Lupin III franchise. He voiced the protagonist Arsène Lupin III in the original 1969 Cinemascope pilot film, which was later released as part of the Lupin III: Secret Files compilation. He also portrayed the original Arsène Lupin, the grandfather of the series' main character, in the 1981 anime film Lupin vs. Holmes. Among his other varied anime roles are Kenichi Kurokawa in the action series Mezzo Forte and its television adaptation Mezzo, Carlos Rivera in the classic boxing drama Tomorrow's Joe, and Robert de Forge, also known as the Black Tulip, in the historical series Étoile de la Seine.

Beyond his work in animation, Hirokawa was a prolific voice actor for dubbed foreign films. He was the consistent Japanese dubbing voice for several major Hollywood stars, including Roger Moore, Robert Redford, and Dan Aykroyd. He also served as a narrator for various projects, including the film Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love. Throughout his career, he frequently collaborated with notable figures in the industry, including director Toshio Masuda and voice actors such as Akira Kamiya and Ichirō Nagai, particularly on numerous installments of the Space Battleship Yamato franchise.