A Japanese voice actress born in Tokyo, best remembered for one of Studio Ghibli's most beloved performances: little Mei in Hayao Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988). Her bright, unaffected vocal work captured the boundless curiosity of childhood and became inseparable from the film's enduring charm. Across a long career she lent her voice to numerous anime series and features, specializing in energetic young characters and boys. A warm and versatile performer, she remains a familiar name to generations of Japanese animation fans through her role in one of the medium's defining classics. Read more