Beloved Detective Conan Voice Actress Wakana Yamazaki Passes Away at 61

Wakana Yamazaki, a legendary Japanese voice actress celebrated for her role as Ran Mouri in the long-running anime Detective Conan, passed away on April 18, 2026. She was 61 years old.

Yamazaki’s agency, Aoni Production, officially announced her death on May 15, 2026. In accordance with her family’s wishes, the funeral and wake were restricted to close family and friends only.

Yamazaki had taken a temporary leave from work to receive treatment for an undisclosed illness. By mid-March 2026, Akemi Okamura—known for voicing Nami in One Piece—had already assumed the role of Ran in Detective Conan. Okamura will continue voicing the character moving forward.

Tributes from Co-Stars

Colleagues from Detective Conan expressed profound shock and grief over Yamazaki’s passing on social media. Among them were Kappei Yamaguchi (voice of Shinichi Kudo) and Naoko Matsui (voice of Sonoko Suzuki).

In the series, Shinichi is Ran’s boyfriend and childhood friend, while Sonoko is her best friend. Since the anime’s debut in 1996, Yamazaki, Yamaguchi, and Matsui had collaborated on the show for nearly three decades.

Career Highlights and Legacy

Yamazaki began her voice acting career in 1991. Beyond her iconic portrayal of Ran, she lent her voice to numerous beloved characters, including:

• Ayane in Dead or Alive
• Arukenimon in Digimon Adventure 02
• Meiko in Marmalade Boy
• Nojiko, Nami’s sister, in One Piece
• Temporarily voiced Nami in One Piece during Okamura’s maternity leave (episodes 70–78)

Notably, Yamazaki had completed recording her lines for Ran in the latest Detective Conan movie, Fallen Angel of the Highway, which remains in theaters across Japan.