Person: Kuwashima Houko

Kuwashima Houko is a voice actress (seiyuu), narrator and singer born December 12, 1975 in Kanegasaki, Isawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Her blood type is A. She is capable of playing a variety of roles, ranging from young boys to feminine women, and has an extensive and impressive resume.

Kuwashima began working as a voice actress around 1995. In 1996 she got her first major role as the main female character, Misumaru Yurika, in Kidou Senkan Nadesico, which remains till this date her most prominent role. Following a variety of other roles she also ventured outside of animation and took dubbing work on games and foreign television series and films.

She is especially known for the role of Kasumi in the Dead or Alive video game series, which she took over from Tange Sakura as of Dead or Alive 3, after Tange retired from voice acting to pursue a singing career.

Kuwashima herself did also start a singing career aside of her voice actor's work. Although Kuwashima was at first not comfortable with the idea of becoming an "idol seiyuu" and releasing character songs for characters she voiced, she thought it would distract her from the original plans, she quickly grew into her new role. Today her repertoire includes aside of character and image songs, j-pop singles and audio drama cds, such as the ones to popular manga Hana-Kimi and Shinshi Doumei Cross. She is currently contracted under the JVC Music label and is a frequent guest to many radio shows and anison (animation music) events.

Kuwashima likes western (non-Japanese) music a lot, especially Dawid Bowie and Radiohead. Other things she likes are Italian Cuisine and movies. Her favourite actress is Ootake Shinobu.

Kuwashima became interested in acting when she saw the Shiki Theatre Company's performance locally. Her parents often bought tickets and took her with them for shows since infancy. Kuwashima began to like theatre and the thought that she "wants to enter the Shiki Theatre Company" crossed her mind. Although the junior high school she attended did not have a drama club she voluntarily set up drama plays for the school's cultural festival.

She went to the Iwate Kurosawajirikita High School (岩手いわて県立けんりつ黒沢尻くろさわじり北きた高等こうとう学校がっこう) but stopped attending for six months before changing schools. She graduated from the Iwate Toryou High School (岩手いわて県立けんりつ杜陵高等学校とりょうこうとうがっこう) and went afterwards to Tokyo to become a voice actress. There she graduated from AoniJuku, Aoni Production's voice acting school and was afterwards contracted by Aoni, debuting in a minor role in the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super S television anime series.

Kuwashima is very familiar with the works of Miyazawa Kenji, Iwate Prefecture's and one of Japan's most famous authors, since infancy. She is the initiator of Roudokuya (朗読ろうどく夜よる), reading nights which are held irregularly since 2000 in Iwata Prefecture. During such Roudokuya his lifework, including stories like Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru, is being read out aloud by known actors and voice actors, including Kuwashima herself. The event is mainly a contribution to the acknowledgment of Miyazawa's legacy and only one of the many activities Kuwashima has done to promote his lifework.

She was also involved in the production of the 2007 CG animation short Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru: Fantasy Railroad in the Stars where she took over the reading of the novel. She also released the original album Flores - Shisha e no Hanataba (Flores ~死者ししゃへの花束はなたば), which collected Miyazawa's story Haratai Kenbairen (原はら体からだ剣舞けんぶ連れん).

For the work she has done to promote Miyazawa's legacy, she received the 19th Ihatov Encouragement Award by the Miyazawa Kenji Society in a ceremony on September 22, 2009 in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Miyazawa's birthplace.