Atsuko Tanaka, known for her role as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, passed away on Aug 20, 2024, at the age of 61. This news was shared by her agency through an official statement and confirmed by her son, voice actor Hikaru Tanaka.
In his post, Hikaru Tanaka explained that Atsuko had been battling illness for nearly a year but chose not to disclose the specific nature of her disease in keeping with her wishes.
Checkout the full statement by Hikaru Tanaka below:
To all those who have always supported us,
On August 20, 2024, my mother, the voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, peacefully passed away.
To all the fans who loved Atsuko Tanaka, and to all those in the industry who took care of her during her life, I thank you deeply on her behalf.
It deeply saddens me to inform you of our parent-child relationship in this way.
In accordance with her wishes, we will not disclose the specific illness, but she battled it for about a year. Throughout that time, she remained serious, dignified, and just a little bit playful – I believe it was a life very much like Atsuko Tanaka.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a wonderful mother.
Finally, I ask that you please do not forget the works that Atsuko Tanaka was sincerely involved in, the characters she poured her love into, and Atsuko Tanaka as a voice actress.
With love, to a respected actress and voice actress, and to my beloved mother.
August 20, 2024
Hikaru Tanaka
Atsuko Tanaka also voiced Konan in Naruto, Caster in the Fate/stay night series, Lisa Lisa in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Claudette in Queen’s Blade, Francis Midford in Black Butler, Karura in Utawarerumono, Hanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, and The Great Mage Flamme in Frieren, among others.
She was also noted for portraying the Japanese dub of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. In addition to roles in anime and live-action, Tanaka also lend her voice to multiple video game franchise including Bayonetta.
Source: Hikaru Tanaka’s X account