Rica Matsumoto: Movies & Box Office

Rica Matsumoto, born November 30, 1968 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, is a prolific Japanese actress, voice actress, and singer whose career has spanned more than three decades. From a young age she displayed a love for performance, first appearing on stage in local theater productions before transitioning to voice work in the mid‑1980s. Her breakthrough came in 1997 when she was cast as Satoshi (Ash Ketchum) in the original Pokémon anime, a role that would define her public image and earn her international recognition; she has voiced the character continuously across the main series, movies, and related video games. In addition to Satoshi, Matsumoto has delivered memorable performances as Ryo Bakura in Yu‑Gi‑Oh!, Aoi Futaba in You're Under Arrest, and Midori Kodama in Azuki-chan, showcasing her versatility across genres ranging from action to comedy. Beyond voice acting, she is an accomplished singer known for recording numerous opening and ending themes for the Pokémon series, including the iconic “Mezase Pokémon Master,” and for her energetic contributions to the anison supergroup JAM Project, which she co‑founded in 2000 before taking a temporary hiatus in 2008 to focus on solo work. Her discography spans J‑pop and anison, with releases on Media Factory and Tokuma Japan Communications, and she regularly performs live at anime conventions worldwide, delighting fans with both music and character appearances. Matsumoto also hosts a popular radio show, lends her voice to Japanese dubs of Hollywood films starring actresses such as Patricia Arquette and Drew Barrymore, and appears in Tokusatsu series like Kamen Rider and various Super Sentai entries. Recognized for her energetic vocal tone and enduring dedication to the craft, she remains an influential figure in Japanese pop culture, continuing to act, record, and inspire new generations of voice talent.