Shinji Ogawa was a distinguished Japanese actor and voice actor, born Haruhiko Ogawa on February 19, 1941, in Tokyo. He passed away on March 7, 2015, at the age of 74. His career in the entertainment industry began in the 1960s, initially as a live-action actor in television dramas and on stage before he became widely recognized for his extensive voice work.

Ogawa's deep and稳重 voice made him a prominent figure in the world of voice acting, particularly in the field of Japanese dubbing for foreign films and television series. He was the regular Japanese voice for several major Hollywood actors, including Michael Douglas, Timothy Dalton, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Michael Caine. Notably, he dubbed Timothy Dalton's portrayal of James Bond and provided the Japanese voice for Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. His work in this area was so prolific that he became one of the most recognizable voices in Japanese media.

In anime, Ogawa took on a wide variety of roles, from authority figures to complex villains. Some of his notable anime roles include Hyō in Fist of the North Star 2, Professor Bucky Wise in the Ninja Ryūkenden (Ninja Gaiden) OVA, and Genya in Giant Robo. He also voiced Pyron in Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, Gil Hakaider in Kikaider-01: The Animation, and the Narrator for Project Blue Earth SOS, where he also played Professor Brest. In the early 2010s, he played roles such as Kouji Okamura in the short film Dareka no Manazashi and Douglas MacArthur in Junod. He was also a familiar presence in the Detective Conan franchise, voicing characters like Detective Toyama and the second voice of远山银司郎. His other anime credits include Maestro Franz von Stresemann in Nodame Cantabile, Hajime Hiura in Eden of the East, and Ronan Marcenas in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Beyond animation, he was also active as a narrator for documentaries and provided voices for numerous video games, such as Batō in Ghost in the Shell and Iedolas Aldercapt in Final Fantasy XV.

Throughout his long career, Ogawa was affiliated with several talent agencies, ultimately being represented by Herringbone at the time of his death. He was married to actress Yoko Hara, and his son, Gen Ogawa, also became an actor. Respected by colleagues and audiences alike for his professionalism and the subtle power of his performances, Ogawa continued to work until his health declined in late 2014. He passed away from pneumonia in 2015, leaving behind a vast and influential body of work that spanned over five decades.