Which Japanese voice actress has played Pikachu in the Pokémon anime?

Ikue Ōtani has played Pikachu in the Japanese Pokémon anime.

Ōtani has voiced Pikachu since the series began in 1997. Unlike many animated characters, Pikachu generally communicates through variations of its own name rather than ordinary human dialogue, so the performance depends heavily on tone, rhythm, and emotion.

The Pokémon production team selected Ōtani because she could make the limited vocal sounds expressive and understandable. Her work helped establish Pikachu’s distinctive voice across television episodes, films, games, and promotional appearances.

Ōtani is also known for other major roles, including Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece and Morgana in Persona 5. Rica Matsumoto voices Ash in Japanese, which is why the two performers are sometimes confused.