# Yūko Mizutani (水谷 優子)
**Yūko Mizutani** (水谷 優子; 4 November 1964 – 17 May 2016) was a Japanese voice actress, actress, and narrator known for playing Sakiko Sakura, the older sister in *Chibi Maruko-chan*, for over 20 years, and for roles in *Black Jack*, *Digimon Adventure*, and the *Tenchi Muyo!* series.[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) • [2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) She was born in [Aichi Prefecture](https://www.edgepedia.org/aichi-prefecture)[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) (the town of Ama, according to The Movie Database[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/112138?language=ja-JP)) and died of breast cancer on 17 May 2016 at the age of 51.[4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1964, Aichi Prefecture; 17 May 2016, breast cancer, aged 51[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) • [4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/) |
| Signature role | Sakiko Sakura, Maruko's older sister in *Chibi Maruko-chan*, from the first broadcast in 1990 (Heisei 2) for more than 20 years[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) • [4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/) |
| Debut | 1985, as an airport announcer in the TV anime *Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam*, in which she also voiced Sarah Zabiarov[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) |
| Other major roles | Pinoko (*Black Jack*), Marie (*Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water*), Sora Takenouchi (*Digimon Adventure*), Mihoshi (*Tenchi Muyo!*)[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) • [2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) |
| Dubbing | Regular voice of Meg Ryan and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Japanese; Japanese dub voice of Minnie Mouse for Disney works from 1991 to 2016 and Queen Minnie in the *Kingdom Hearts* games[5](https://full-house.info/dubber_mizutani-yuko/) • [9](https://castel.jp/p/1851) |
| Agencies | Gekidan Seinen-za, Production Baobab, freelance, and Aoni Production from December 2012 until her death[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) • [3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/112138?language=ja-JP) |
## Early life and debut
After graduating from high school she moved to Tokyo and entered the training school (research institute) of the theater company Gekidan Seinen-za.[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) Her voice-acting debut came in 1985 in the television anime *Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam*, playing an airport announcer, and her role as Sarah Zabiarov in the same series, along with Apple in *Zillion*, brought her early popularity.[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) Her first leading role was Hiromi Oka in *Aim for the Ace! 2* in 1988, according to an interview with her husband.[6](https://jisin.jp/entertainment/entertainment-news/1612851/)
## Anime career
The role she held longest began in 1990: when the television anime *Chibi Maruko-chan* started its first broadcast, she was cast from the very first episode as the protagonist's older sister, Sakiko Sakura (the character called "Onee-chan").[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) The show's official site wrote in tribute that she had voiced the older sister "over a long span from the first broadcast in Heisei 2" and had made the series fun.[4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/) In her husband's account, the older sister was the role closest to her own natural speaking voice and among the easiest for her to play.[6](https://jisin.jp/entertainment/entertainment-news/1612851/)
Her range covered cute girl roles, low-voiced characters, and boys. She was frequently cast as delicate young girls such as Marie in *Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water* and Pinoko in the television anime *Black Jack*, but she also played lower-voiced characters like Maruko's older sister and boy roles such as Caris Nautilas in *After War Gundam X*.[4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/) In *Digimon Adventure* she voiced Sora Takenouchi.[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) In the *Tenchi Muyo!* franchise she played Mihoshi Kuramitsu, including 60 episodes of *Ai Tenchi Muyo!* in 2014.[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/112138?language=ja-JP) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594730/) From 2010 she voiced Excellen Browning in *Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector*.[3](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/112138?language=ja-JP) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594730/)
## Dubbing, Disney, and games
Mizutani was the regular Japanese dubbing voice of [Meg Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/meg-ryan), in *Sleepless in Seattle* and *You've Got Mail*, and of [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-michelle-gellar), including *The Grudge* and its sequel.[5](https://full-house.info/dubber_mizutani-yuko/) • [1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) Her other dubbing credits include [Jessica Lange](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessica-lange) in *King Kong*, Marion Cotillard in *TAXi* and *TAXi 3*, Jennifer Jason Leigh in *Single White Female*, and Eliza Dushku in *True Lies*.[1](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html) She also voiced **Minnie Mouse** from 1991 to 2016, though Kumiko Shimokawa and Mika Doi had voiced the character in earlier Disney dubs.[5](https://full-house.info/dubber_mizutani-yuko/) • [9](https://castel.jp/p/1851) In games she played Queen Minnie in four *Kingdom Hearts* titles.[5](https://full-house.info/dubber_mizutani-yuko/)
## Personal life and death
Her husband was the animation director Mizuho Nishikubo.[2](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html) She kept her illness private: according to Nishikubo, she repeatedly said "don't tell many people about the illness," and she had told only close relatives shortly before her death.[6](https://jisin.jp/entertainment/entertainment-news/1612851/) She died of breast cancer on 17 May 2016, and her agency Aoni Production announced the death on 19 May.[4](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/) A retrospective article records that scripts were at her hospital bedside and that her last words were that she wanted to go to work.[8](https://magmix.jp/post/27920/2)
## References
1. [水谷 優子, Aoni Production profile](https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/mizutani-yuko.html)
2. [水谷優子, 時事用語事典 (imidas)](https://imidas.jp/topic/detail/P-00-202-16-06-G221.html)
3. [Yūko Mizutani, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/112138?language=ja-JP)
4. [声優・水谷優子さん死去 「ちびまる子ちゃん」のお姉ちゃん役など, ITmedia NEWS (2016)](https://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article/1605/19/1160519137/)
5. [水谷優子, full-house.info dubbing credits](https://full-house.info/dubber_mizutani-yuko/)
6. [「まる子」姉役声優の水谷優子さん 夫が明かした"最期の言葉", 女性自身 (2016)](https://jisin.jp/entertainment/entertainment-news/1612851/)
7. [Yûko Mizutani, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594730/)
8. [5月17日は水谷優子さんの命日, マグミクス](https://magmix.jp/post/27920/2)
9. [【ミニーの声】声優さんは誰？25年間ミニーを担当した水谷さんの後任は遠藤さん♡](https://castel.jp/p/1851)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › American voice performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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