Few voice actors have remained fixtures of Japanese popular culture for as long as Kazuhiko Inoue. During a visit to Delhi last week for the Anime India 2026 convention, where thousands of fans gathered to celebrate the country’s rapidly growing anime community, the veteran performer behind characters such as Kakashi in Naruto, Nyanko-sensei in Natsume’s Book of Friends and Kars in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure reflected on the craft, chance encounters and sheer longevity that have sustained his long career. The career in question stretches back to 1973, when Inoue entered an industry that barely resembled the sprawling global anime ecosystem of today, when the route into voice acting was unexpectedly ordinary. “When I was 18, I was aiming to become a pro bowler and even got a job at a bowling alley. But my dream soon shattered,” he recalled during an interview with The Hindu. A friend invited him to visit a voice acting school and, as Inoue explained, “I wasn’t good with people. So, I thought I might get better if I went somewhere and took the professional exam.” Fifty-two years later, that detour has produced one of the most extensive careers in Japanese voice acting, encompassing hundreds of roles across television, film and games.