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Tag - voice-acting

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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VOICE ACTING

Damage caused by the use of generative AI is becoming a serious concern, including from "AI covers," in which people have AI tools learn the voices of singers and voice actors, then sing songs using the professionals' voices.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 14, 2026
Japan aims to protect image and voice rights from generative AI use
Many things remain unclear regarding what constitutes the illegal use of voices, as no Japanese court ruling has been issued on related rights.
A popular voice actor has sued TikTok¡¯s operator over videos allegedly using an AI-generated imitation of his voice without permission.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 26, 2026
Actor files lawsuit against TikTok operator over AI-generated voice use
The lawsuit, filed with the Tokyo District Court by Kenjiro Tsuda last November,?is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan.
A synchronous speaker stands in a dubbing studio in Munich. The rise of AI raises the question of whether voice dubbing actors will be needed in the future.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 1, 2025
Voice actors push back as AI threatens dubbing industry
As AI-generated voices become more sophisticated and cost-effective, voice actor industry associations are calling for tighter regulations.
Australian singer Donna Burke in Tokyo on May 29. People comment on how familiar her voice is when footage of Burke performing shinkansen announcements go viral online.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 27, 2025
A trained star: The Australian singer who became the voice of the shinkansen
The ¡°JR voice¡± has built a career that encompasses voice work for prominent game franchises including Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy.
In the most recent expansion to the long-running Warframe, Alpha Takahashi voices cyborg mechanic Aoi Morohoshi.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 15, 2025
Alpha Takahashi: ¡®The world of video games was tied to my upbringing¡¯
The Tokyo-born actor has voiced Psylocke in Marvel Rivals, Hanako Arasaka in Cyberpunk 2077 and many more since breaking into the industry in 2013.
Midori Kato has been voice acting the character Sazae Fuguta in the TV animation series "Sazae-san" since it started in 1969.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2024
Still sounding young at 85, Midori Kato is the voice of old Japan
The voice actor is the last original member of the cast of ¡°Sazae-san,¡± a cartoon series that premiered in 1969 and never quite joined the modern world.
Nobuyo Oyama
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 11, 2024
Long-time ¡®Doraemon¡¯ voice actor Nobuyo Oyama dies at 90
Oyama voiced the nation¡¯s beloved blue cat-robot in her own inimitable way from the time the show debuted in 1979 until 2005.
Noriko Ohara, best known for providing the voice of Nobita Nobi in the popular anime series "Doraemon," died on July 12 at 88.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 24, 2024
Doraemon¡¯s Nobita voice actress dies at 88
Noriko Ohara served as the voice actor for Nobita, the lazy but optimistic boy looked after by robotic earless cat Doraemon, for 26 years from 1979.
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 19, 2024
Want to be a voice actor? Stay ¡®true to the character¡¯
¡°Most people think of just the cutscenes,¡± SungWon Cho says, ¡°but you end up voicing everything ¡ª the sounds a character makes when fighting, like battle cries, for example.¡±
Speech-generating AI works by sifting through reams of data, categorizing how people speak then using an algorithm, to replicate human vocal patterns and speech characteristics.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2023
Whose voice is it anyway? Actors take on AI copycats
Artists around the world are joining forces to protect their jobs, and their souls, from the ramifications of AI that sounds just like them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Dec 3, 2022
To bestselling gaming franchises, what are voice actors worth?
When a voice actor took to Twitter to complain about low wages, it was only the beginning of a drawn-out controversy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 11, 2021
Maxwell Powers: ¡®You have to be competent, yet invisible¡¯
According to his bio, Maxwell Powers is the ¡®voice guy in Tokyo.¡¯ He explains a few of his roles and the perks of being widely heard.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 10, 2018
Hidemitsu Shimizu: Realizing the full extent of vocal possibility
Narrator and voice actor Hidemitsu Shimizu on how he brings characters to life, who has the sexiest male voice and rapping about math for work.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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