Akira Shimada was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on March 15, 1934, in Hyogo Prefecture. He passed away on March 11, 2004. His career spanned both on-screen film roles and extensive voice work in anime, tokusatsu, and dubbing from the 1960s until his death. He was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society (Haikyo) and later served as the sales director for the theater group Engeki Shudan Mibō.

Shimada's voice acting career included several notable roles in classic anime series. He provided the voice for the title character in the 1964 science fiction anime Big X. He also voiced the character Superman, also known as Birdman, in the 1967 version of Perman. In the long-running series Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, he contributed voice work for various monster characters. He voiced the character Shijin in the 1975 television series The Adventures of Gamba. He reprised this role for the 1991 theatrical film The Adventure of Gamba and the Otter. He also voiced the character Killer The Butcher in the 1977 series Invincible Super Man Zambot 3. His role in the Shin Obake no Q-Taro series was as the character Koike in the second anime adaptation. Beyond these, his extensive filmography includes voice roles in World Masterpiece Theater productions such as Anne of Green Gables and 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother.