Ichitaro Ai

Ichitaro Ai was born on November 12, 1987, in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

He is the eldest son of the celebrated rakugo master, Sanyutei Enraku VI.

He attended Nihon University First High School and graduated from Aoni Juku's Tokyo branch in 2008, one of Japan's major voice acting schools.

Growing up surrounded by both the world of traditional performance and popular culture, Ichitaro naturally gravitated toward both rakugo and voice acting.

Ichitaro’s career as a voice actor began officially in 2008 after his graduation.

He joined Aoni Production, one of Japan’s leading talent agencies for voice actors.

His anime debut included minor roles in "Persona 3" drama CDs, quickly expanding to bigger projects such as "Chibi Maruko-chan," "Hunter x Hunter" (as Beans and Riehlbelt), "One Piece," and more.

His video game roles are just as prolific, voicing characters such as Shokai in the "Dynasty Warriors" series, Kamen Rider Faiz in several "Kamen Rider" games, and taking part in franchises like "Phantasy Star Online 2" and "Neptunia."

In parallel, Ichitaro pursued a career as a rakugo storyteller, taking the stage name Sanyutei Ichitaro in 2009 under his father’s guidance.

Though his focus has been primarily on voice acting, he continues rakugo performances and has even reached the level of "Shinuchi" (master storyteller), though with limited ceremonial celebrations due to his primary focus on voice work.

He’s also a prominent MC and host, notably for official "Phantasy Star Online 2" live broadcasts and game events.

Since June 2020, Ichitaro has expanded to become a Virtual YouTuber, further showcasing his gaming, comedy, and storytelling talents.

While Ichitaro’s rakugo career does not feature customary celebratory landmarks due to his unique career trajectory, he was promoted to Shinuchi in 2022—an unusual accomplishment for someone focused mainly on voice acting.

His status is recognized among the distinguished members of the Enraku Ichimonkai’s senior performers.

His voice acting career is widely acknowledged for his broad role diversity and consistent work across major franchises.

Ichitaro is married to voice actress Ai Sasaki, whom he wed in August 2016 after both being part of Aoni Production.

He is the son of the late Sanyutei Enraku VI, inheriting a significant legacy in the world of rakugo.

His life in performance is deeply connected to his family, both as a son and as a husband within the same industry.

Ichitaro is known for his playful and open personality.

He has a wide range of hobbies that showcase his curiosity and love for pop culture, including video games, fishing, cosplay, and even yo-yo performance.

He is very active on social media (Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube), where he interacts with fans and shares his wide variety of interests, from gaming streams to TRPG playthroughs.

For administrative reasons, he uses the simplified character "Ai" in public, as his actual surname uses a traditional character less commonly accepted in media.

He was the first name listed among 1,252 voice actors in a national directory due to the alphabetical advantage of his surname.

Ichitaro is renowned as a gamer and once surprised fans by entering a cosplay contest as a character from "Phantasy Star Online 2" without revealing his identity.

He’s one of very few modern entertainers who are both professional voice actors and officially recognized shinuchi-level rakugo performers.

He often brings an irreverent, geeky energy to both his voice acting and his performances as a storytelling master.