Akihiro Miwa (born Akihiro Maruyama, May 15, 1935 - June 20, 2026) was a Japanese singer, actor, director, composer and author, widely recognized for his androgynous cabaret performances and his pioneering openness as a gay artist in postwar Japan. A survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing, he was a lifelong advocate for peace and nuclear disarmament. International audiences know him chiefly as the voice of the wolf goddess Moro in Princess Mononoke (1997) and the Witch of the Waste in Howl's Moving Castle (2004), both Studio Ghibli productions. He debuted as a chanson singer in Tokyo's Ginza district in the early 1950s and remained active for over seven decades, authoring more than twenty books alongside his work in music, theatre and television.
Akihiro Miwa died on June 20, 2026, at the age of 91 from natural causes; his agency announced the news on June 28.
The funeral was held in a small family circle in accordance with the deceased's wishes; no public memorial service is planned.
In March 2026, his last book Shiawase no Oban Furumai (Lavish Banquet of Happiness) was published by Chūōkōron-Shinsha.
In December 2025, Miwa was awarded the 60th Kinokuniya Theatre Award.
In April 2025, his involvement in the documentary film Nagasaki - Hikari no Kage de (Nagasaki - In the Shadow of the Flash) dedicated to the atomic bombing was announced.
