Rica Matsumoto, born November 30, 1968, is a Japanese voice actress, singer, and actress. She is internationally known as the original voice of Satoshi (Ash Ketchum in the Western version) in the *Pokémon* anime, a role she played continuously from 1997 to 2023. As a singer, she gained fame for performing the series' famous Japanese opening theme song, "Mezase Pokémon Master." Her prolific voice acting career also includes other notable characters, such as Ryo Bakura in *Yu-Gi-Oh!* and Aoi Futaba in *You're Under Arrest!*. She is also a founding member of the musical supergroup JAM Project, which specializes in theme songs for anime and video games. For her iconic and long-running portrayal of Satoshi, she received the "Kids/Family" award at the 6th Seiyu Awards in 2012, solidifying her status as a legendary figure in the Japanese animation industry. Her work also extends to theater, where she has participated in several productions.