Michiko Nomura

Biography Early years

Nomura was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture on March 31, 1938. She was adopted by relatives living in Osaka Prefecture when she was two years old.

As the war intensified, Nomura and her family evacuated over to Gifu Prefecture. she joined their drama club, with her coaches being Yoshiya Nemoto and Naoki Sugiura.

In her third year of high school, Nomura applied for a theater company established by the Tokyo Announcement Academy, but was rejected due to her young age, though got heavily encouraged to join the acting training department, so started attending the academy's acting department every Sunday.

Once Nomura graduated from training school, she appeared on programs by the producer who instructed her. At the beginning of her career, she usually worked as an actress on commercials and TV dramas. Initially, when she was in her early twenities, she passed the Fuji TV weathercaster audition and became their first weather girl, but since the weather forecast was done every morning, she was unable to make time to film for live-action dramas, and her voice acting jobs grew. She officially began working in the voice acting industry three to four years after she started her career in acting. By her early twenties, Nomura would often show her face, and since the weather forecast ended at 8:00am, she was able to do other work like dubbing songs used in commercials, acting in television commercials, and dubbing for foreign films afterwards.

Personal life

In 1973, Nomura married Kenji Utsumi. She met Utsumi while on Speed Racer

Appearing in popular anime

In 1976, Nomura was selected to replace Yoshiko Yamamoto as the voice of Wakame Isono in Sazae-san, and in 1978, Nomura was cast to voice Nobita's love interest and closest friend Shizuka Minamoto in Doraemon, which premiered in April the following year. Both Wakame and Shizuka were well known characters, so Nomura's voice became widely known with Japanese audiences.

In regards to voicing both iconic characters, she once said, "Wakame-chan in "Sazae-san" was a difficult role. If you make it too much, it will stand out, and if you only act naturally, it won't sound childish, so you also need to be cute. The more I did it, the more difficult it felt. I wonder if Shizuka's voice was a good match. It was a role I was good at, so it was easy to play, and I was able to really dig deep and show various sides. Someone was surprised the other day and asked me "Wakame-chan and Shizuka-chan were the same voice actor?" As a voice actor, I was like, "I did it!""

After Nomura had previously worked with the Sannoh Theatre Company, Kindai Gekijo Theatre Company, Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, T.A.P. and Aoni Production, she joined her husband's company Ken Production in 1984 in order to help operations. At the time, there were only seven people in the company and they were called the "Seven Samurai".

In 2005, Nomura decided to step down from the role of Wakame on Sazae-san in order to focus on production work. and in March 2007, they received the 3rd Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2007.

In 2009, Nomura voiced the Disemboweled Tiger in Kämpfer, her first anime voice acting role in four years since leaving Doraemon and Sazae-san. In the first episode, Nomura herself appears in a magazine alongside co-star Yukari Tamura and in the eleventh episode, she co-stars alongside her husband Kenji Utsumi as a married couple for the first time in years.

In 2016, she received the Merit/Achievement Award at the 10th Seiyu Awards alongside Sachiko Chijimatsu and Tadashi Nakamura.

In 2023, she received the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs' Award.

Personality Features and episodes

Her voice range is mezzo-soprano.

In her early twenties, Nomura was mostly hired to voice child characters, as the idea was that someone her age at that time could voice children. When she started voice acting, she was often cast to voice young characters. She voiced boy characters in shows such as the first series of Perman and Serendipity the Pink Dragon, but after that started voicing girl characters more often. Nomura admitted that she preferred voicing young boys, as she felt like young girl roles weren't that interesting to her. In response, the manga unified to have Shizuka refer to Nobita as "Nobita-san" as a reverse import from the anime, and has been kept as part of Shizuka's character in the 2005 anime.

In a post-recording interview for Kämpfer, she said that when she was initially offered to voice for the show, she accepted because she was a fan of the team.

Personal life Nomura's hobbies are dancing, tai chi, aerobics, and wearing kimonos. She is a fan of the Hanshin Tigers.

Her husband was Kenji Utsumi, who was also a voice actor and the former CEO of Ken Production. They have a son.

Since she left the Doraemon franchise alongside the other voice actors in 2005, Kazuya Tatekabe, who voiced Gian, died in June 2015, Kaneta Kimotsuki, who voiced Suneo, died in October 2016, and Noriko Ohara, who voiced Nobita, died in July 2024. After Nobuyo Ōyama, who voiced Doraemon, died in September 2024, Nomura is currently the last surviving main cast member of the 1979 to 2005 Doraemon television anime series.

Nomura was close friends with Ōyama and Ohara, going on overseas trips together during their time on the Doraemon anime.

Filmography Television animation + List of voice performances in television animation Year Title Role Notes Source 1963 Astro Boy Additional voice 1964 Wolf Boy Ken Additional voice 1965 Uchuu Patrol Hopper Additional voice Jungle Emperor Leo Additional voice 1966 Osomatsu-kun Additional voice 1967 The Golden Bat Additional voice Perman Sabu Speed Racer Mitchi Shimura ("Trixie") Third voice, Ep. 5 and onward Sally the Witch Ruriko, Zuppe Ruriko in Ep. 49 Rainbow Sentai Robin Mirona 1968 Cyborg 009 Additional voice Sabu and Ichi's Detective Memoirs Daughter The Monster Kid Additional voice Humanoid Monster Bem Emily 1969 Attack No. 1 Yumiko Mihara, Katsura Yagisawa Second voice of Katsura Yagisawa Dororo Sayō Ninpu Kamui Gaiden Nami The Genie Family Sakura, Yuriko Hoshi Mōretsu Atarō Additional voice 1970 Undersea Boy Marine Nurse Kick no Oni Etsuko Star of the Giants Additional voice The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee Aya Bakuhatsu Taishō Additional voice 1971 Kunimatsu-sama no Otoridai Chizuru, Akiko GeGeGe no Kitarō Additional voice Sarutobi Ecchan Etsuko Sarutobi New Little Ghost Q-Tarō Yoshiko Koizumi Tiger Mask Ruriko Wakatsuki, Additional voice Second voice of Ruriko Wakatsuki Marvelous Melmo Additional voice Andersen Monogatari Ilze, Gerda Ilze in Ep. 24, Gerda in Episodes 50–51 1972 Devilman Rita, Iyamon, Miyo Rita in Ep. 5, Iyamon in Ep. 8 Mazinger Z Yuri, the Girl in a Wheelchair Yuri in Ep. 23 Mahōtsukai Chappy Chappy Substitute voice for Eiko Masuyama in Ep. 9 1973 Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog Girl Zero Tester Additional voice Doraemon Additional voice Dororon Enma-kun Additional voice Babel II Yumiko Furumi Bōken Korobokkuru Additional voice Microid S Ruriko Ōzeki, Taro Naoki, Kankuro Kankuro in Episodes 18-26 Aim for the Ace! Additional voice 1974 Calimero Priscilla First voice The New Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee Aya Megu the Little Witch Additional voice 1975 Ikkyū-san Sleeve Steel Jeeg Chirara Maya the Honey Bee Maya the Bee Lead role 1976 Rascal the Raccoon Rich Candy Candy Daisy Sazae-san Wakame Isono Second voice Balatack Miyo Ep. 4 Magne Robo Gakeen Sayuri 1977 Jetter Mars Agnes 1978 Space Pirate Captain Harlock Saki Katagiri Ep. 16 Ore wa Teppei Additional voice Angie Girl Donto Fujin Pink Lady Monogatari: Eikō no Tenshitachi Mie The Adventures of the Little Prince Doruru Majokko Tickle Kotaro's mother 1979 Galaxy Express 999 Rēde, Mia, Nami, Daughter Doraemon Shizuka Minamoto Main role 1980 King Arthur Eleanor Ep. 22 Lalabel, the Magical Girl Additional voice Manga Kotowaza Jiten Toki 1982 Asari-chan Ibara Yabunokouji, Friend, Classmate Second voice of Ibara Yabunokouji Boku Patalliro Purara, Here, Coco Coco in Ep. 10 1983 Serendipity the Pink Dragon Corner Manga Japanese History Empress Shōshi 1989 A Bug's Tale: Hutch the Orphan Aya 2009 Kämpfer Disemboweled Tiger 2011 Kämpfer für die Liebe Disemboweled Tiger 2012 Little Charo ~Tohoku-hen~ Shizu Ep. 4

Theatrical animation + List of voice performances in theatrical animation Year Title Role Notes Source Mighty Atom: The Brave in Space Additional voice The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots Additional voice Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Additional voice 1973 Squirt Babel II: Baby is a Psychic Yumiko Furumi Theatrical version of Babel II Ep. 21 Thumbelina Swallow Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur Shizuka Minamoto 1981 Doraemon: The Records of Nobita, Spaceblazer Shizuka Minamoto The Sea Prince and the Fire Child Lou Doraemon: What Am I For Momotarō? Shizuka Minamoto Short film Doraemon: Nobita and the Haunts of Evil Shizuka Minamoto 1983 Doraemon: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil Shizuka Minamoto How to Enjoy Professional Baseball 10 Times More Michiko 1984 Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld Shizuka Minamoto How to Enjoy Professional Baseball 10 Times More PART 2 Michiko Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita and the Steel Troops Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West Shizuka Minamoto 1989 Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan Shizuka Minamoto Dorami-chan: Mini-Dora SOS!!! Shizuka Nobi Short film Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet Shizuka Minamoto 1991 Doraemon: Nobita's Dorabian Nights Shizuka Minamoto Dorami-chan: Wow, The Kid Gang of Bandits! Oshizu Short film Doraemon: Nobita and the Kingdom of Clouds Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita and the Tin Labyrinth Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita's Three Visionary Swordsmen Shizuka Minamoto / Shizukaria / Shizukaru Doraemon: Nobita's Diary on the Creation of the World Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita and the Galaxy Super-express Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita and the Spiral City Shizuka Minamoto 1998 Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the South Seas Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon Comes Back Shizuka Minamoto Short film 1999 Doraemon: Nobita Drifts in the Universe Shizuka Minamoto Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding Shizuka Minamoto, Future Shizuka Minamoto, Young Shizuka Minamoto Short film 2000 Doraemon: Nobita and the Legend of the Sun King Shizuka Minamoto A Grandmother's Recollections Shizuka Minamoto Short film 2001 Doraemon: Nobita and the Winged Braves Shizuka Minamoto Good Luck! Gian!! Shizuka Minamoto Short film 2002 Doraemon: Nobita in the Robot Kingdom Shizuka Minamoto The Day When I Was Born Shizuka Minamoto Short film Doraemon: Nobita and the Windmasters Shizuka Minamoto Doraemon: Nobita in the Wan-Nyan Spacetime Odyssey Shizuka Minamoto

Original video animation (OVA) + List of voice performances in original video animation Year Title Role Notes Source 1978 Doraemon: The Fishing Pond in My Study Room Shizuka Minamoto Debut role as Shizuka Minamoto 1994 Doraemon: Nobita and the Future Notes Shizuka Minamoto Public education video, later released as an OVA

Video games + List of voice performances in video games Year Title Role Platform Source Doraemon: Nobita's Dorabian Nights Shizuka Minamoto PC Engine Super CD-ROM² Doraemon 3: Nobita to Toki no Hougyoku Shizuka Minamoto Sega Mega Drive 1995 The Doraemons Shizuka Minamoto 3DO Doraemon 4: Nobita in the Moon Kingdom Shizuka Minamoto Super Famicom Doraemon: Nobita to Fukkatsu no Hoshi Shizuka Minamoto Sega Saturn 1997 Doraemon 2: SOS! Otogi no Kuni Shizuka Minamoto Playstation Doraemon: Nobita to Mittsu no Seireiseki Shizuka Minamoto Nintendo 64 1998 Doraemon 2: Nobita to Hikari no Shinden Shizuka Minamoto Nintendo 64 2000 Doraemon 3: Nobita no Machi SOS! Shizuka Minamoto, Reina Nintendo 64 Doraemon 3: Makai no Dungeon Shizuka Minamoto Playstation 2001 Boku, Doraemon Shizuka Minamoto Dreamcast Doraemon: Green Planet: The Pounding Great Rescue! Shizuka Minamoto Game Boy Advance Kids Station: Doraemon: Himitsu no Yojigen Pocket Shizuka Minamoto Playstation 2002 Doraemon: Koe de Dokan! Wakuwaku Kuuki Hou!! Shizuka Minamoto Handheld TV game 2003 Doraemon: Minna de Asobō! Minidorando Shizuka Minamoto Gamecube

Drama CD + List of drama CD performances Year Title Role Label Catalogue number Source 1995 TV Animation Drama Series Devilman Miyo Columbia COCC-12398 2010 Kämpfer Drama CD Disemboweled Tiger Bandai Visual LACA-5995

Live-action + List of appearances in live-action productions Year Title Role Notes Source Doraemon, Becoming a Mother ~The Story of Nobuyo Ōyama~ Herself Portrayed in drama segments by Misato Tanaka To You of That Voice Herself

Soundtrack + List of soundtrack performances Year Title Series Notes Source 1972 Moomin Drawing Songえかきうたムーミン New Moomin Performed with Eiko Masuyama, Yonehiko Kitagawa, Sanji Hase, and Keaton Yamada