Kinto Tamura was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on September 29, 1928, in Tokyo Prefecture. He was affiliated with the Bungakuza Theater Company. Tamura passed away on December 30, 2015. He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin Vocational School before beginning his acting career.

Tamura began his stage career in November 1947 when he joined the Bungakuza theater company, making his debut as an old homeless man in a production titled "Sono Hito wo Shirazu." After a brief hiatus, he returned to the company in 1957 and remained an active member for the rest of his life. His career spanned several decades across multiple media, including television dramas, feature films, stage performances, and voice acting. He made his film debut in the 1964 movie "Three Outlaw Samurai." His distinctive voice was described as a warm, high baritone.

In the field of anime, Kinto Tamura is perhaps best known for providing the voice of Coco in the classic series "Leo the Lion," also known as "Kimba the White Lion" (Jungle Emperor Leo). His other significant television animation roles included Chingensai in "Ranma ½ Nettōhen," Bertrand in "Dog of Flanders" (Flanders no Inu), Hansuke in "Kamui the Ninja," Sumito-sensei in "Like the Clouds, Like the Wind," an unnamed Emperor in "Time Bokan," Bernard in "Norakuro," and roles in series such as "Andersen Monogatari" and "The Animal Treasure Island". He also appeared in the OVA "Sakura Wars: Ouka Kenran" as Kenjiji.

Beyond Japanese animation, Tamura had an extensive career dubbing foreign films and series into Japanese. He was particularly known for his recurring role as Professor Flitwick in the Japanese dub of the "Harry Potter" film series, a role later taken over by Mutsumi Sasaki after his passing. His other notable dubbing credits included Admiral Ackbar in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," as well as roles in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," "The Poseidon Adventure," and "Rocky V".

In live-action Japanese productions, he appeared in various television dramas including NHK's Taiga drama series, "Onino Kyo Hanka-cho," and "Saturday Drama: The 900-Minute Blank—Shinyama Incident." His film appearances included roles in "Kiga Kaikyo" (The Hunger Strait) and "Boyhood". On stage, he performed in numerous productions with the Bungakuza company, including plays such as "Thunderheart," "Soil," "The Lion," "Hometown," and "Japanese Education 1970."

Throughout his career, Tamura was praised for his versatility and his ability to portray elderly, wise, or quirky characters. He was known for his humility and friendly demeanor toward younger actors. His hobbies included folk song music and photography.