Kazuhiko Inoue

In the Ufotable production of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Inoue lends his voice to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the legendary swordsman whose presence looms over the series and its history of demon slaying. The part arrives deep into a career that has spanned roughly half a century, and it sits comfortably among the many storied roles Inoue has accumulated across anime. By the time he took up Yoriichi, he was already among the most recognizable voices in Japanese animation, and the gravitas he brings to the character draws on that long experience. The role adds another celebrated entry to a filmography filled with mentors, warriors and figures of quiet authority.

Born on March 26, 1954, Inoue works across acting, voice acting, narration and singing, and has been active in the industry since 1973. His extensive list of credits includes Anthony Brown in Candy Candy and Joe Shimamura in the 1979 version of Cyborg 009, both from earlier in his career. He went on to voice Jerid Messa in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and, among his best-known parts, Kakashi Hatake in Naruto. Further notable roles include Kars in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Toichiro Suzuki in Mob Psycho 100, and Gildarts Clive in Fairy Tail.

Inoue's range extends beyond his most famous characters into more recent work, such as Neuras in the video game Metaphor: ReFantazio, reflecting his continued presence in both anime and gaming. His longevity, with a career stretching from the early 1970s into the present, has made him a fixture of Japanese voice acting across multiple generations of productions. Alongside his voice work he is also active as a singer and narrator, underscoring the breadth of a career that has touched many corners of Japanese entertainment.