Michiko Nomura

• Name — Michiko Nomura • Native Name — 野村 道子 • Birth Name — Michiko Utsumi (内海 道子) (née Nomura (野村)) • Born — 31 March 1938 • Birthplace — Yokohama, Japan • Other Names — Mitchie (ミッチィ) Micchan (みっちゃん) • Children — 1 • Occupation — * Actress • voice actress • sōdanyaku • Years Active — 1958–present • Agent — Ken Production • Credits — Doraemon as Shizuka Minamoto Maya the Honey Bee as Maya the Bee Sazae-san as Wakame Isono born March 31, 1938 in Yokohama, Kanagawa is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and sōdanyaku. She is best known for her roles as Shizuka Minamoto in Doraemon, Maya the Bee in The Adventures of Maya the Bee, and Wakame Isono in Sazae-san.

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. Once the war came to an end, she returned back home. Because she was the only one with a different surname, she thought her younger siblings were merely relatives. From an early age, Nomura loved radio dramas and wanted to pursue a career in radio dramas and voice acting. During her time at Kanagawa Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, 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.

In 1973, Nomura married Kenji Utsumi. She met Utsumi while on Speed Racer and their wedding ceremony took place at a white church in Hawaii, USA, with Tadashi Nakamura and his wife serving as their matchmakers. They were married for nearly 40 years until his death in 2013.

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. Around the same time, she also stepped down from the role of Shizuka on Doraemon due to the anime's transition to a reboot with a new voice cast. She was succeeded by Makoto Tsumura in Sazae-san and Yumi Kakazu in Doraemon that same year.

In 2005, she received the Rikiya Tayama Award at the 14th Japan Movie Critics Awards along her Doraemon co-stars Nobuyo Ōyama, Noriko Ohara, Kazuya Tatekabe, and Kaneta Kimotsuki. In November 2006, they received a Special Award at the 11th Animation Kobe 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.

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. Nomura was often cast in quiet character roles, the worst of which was her role in the first Babel II film, in which behind the scenes she was told that she had no real talent. During her time voicing Shizuka on Doraemon, Nomura felt a sense of tension and tried to stay young so that Shizuka wouldn't sound old. In the Doraemon manga, Shizuka referred to Nobita as either "You" (あんた), "Nobi-chan" (のびちゃん), or "Nobita-kun" (のび太君) interchangeably, but Nomura decided to have Shizuka refer to him as "Nobita-san" (のび太さん) in the anime. 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.

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.

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

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 — Panda no Daibōken — 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

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

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

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

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

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

Michiko Nomura is recorded with the occupation seiyū. Recorded as a citizen of Japan. Identity and origins. The authorities additionally record the heading Nomura Michiko. Her recorded language was Japanese. She married Kenji Utsumi.