lit a candle 11h agoMy daughter showed me a clip of Kuchipatchi last year and I had no idea there was a real person behind that voice. Told my mom about it just now and she just said "the little yellow guy" and got quiet.
Their story
Asami Yaguchi (矢口アサミ) was a Japanese voice actress and stage performer from Saitama Prefecture, affiliated with Kenyu Office for most of her career. Her birthday was celebrated on 31 July; a full birth year was not firmly established in the agency profiles and databases that listed only the month and…
Asami Yaguchi (矢口アサミ) was a Japanese voice actress and stage performer from Saitama Prefecture, affiliated with Kenyu Office for most of her career. Her birthday was celebrated on 31 July; a full birth year was not firmly established in the agency profiles and databases that listed only the month and day, so reports of her age at death have varied. Taiwanese outlet SETN, citing Japanese coverage of the Kenyu Office announcement, reported that she was 43.
Yaguchi made her professional debut around 2002 and became widely known for children's and anime roles that reached multiple generations of viewers. She voiced Kuchipatchi in the long-running Tamagotchi! television series and related films, young Sakata Gintoki in Gintama, and Haruo in several Doraemon theatrical features. Other credits included Sawyer in Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail, Katina Tarask in the Super Robot Wars OG anime and games, and Eleonore von Wittenburg in Dies irae. Anime News Network's encyclopedia lists dozens of supporting and guest parts across television, film, OVA and games from the early 2000s onward.
She also worked on stage, appearing in productions such as Yorozu Uranaidokoro Onmyouya e Youkoso and with the theatre troupe Yurakusha, including its Hataage Kouen show billed as National Hilarious Keeper. Colleagues remembered a performer who balanced studio work with live theatre and who remained closely involved with her agency's day-to-day life.
Yaguchi died suddenly on 26 September 2026. Kenyu Office announced her death on 28 September. The statement issued in the name of company representative Horiuchi Kenyu and staff said she had passed away suddenly on the 26th, thanked those who had supported her, and said the funeral would be held privately for close relatives only, in line with the family's wishes. TV Asahi's report of the agency text described a sudden death without stating a medical cause. SETN reported that Japanese media and the agency announcement attributed the death to heart failure (心臓衰竭).
Horiuchi's tribute extended beyond the formal notice. He wrote that Yaguchi had supported Kenyu Office from its early days, called her bright and caring, noted that she had been a favourite of the late Tatekabe Kazuya, and said she had left too soon. He asked the public not to forget her as an actress and closed with thanks and a prayer for her rest. Fans and industry colleagues responded with remembrances of Kuchipatchi, young Gintoki and her other roles. Her funeral remained private, and no public memorial service was announced.
Biography adapted from TV Asahi (28 Sep 2026); SETN (28 Sep 2026); Anime News Network encyclopedia; Livedoor News / Kenyu Office statement; WEB thetv.jp profile.
In their own words
“Bright, caring, and Tatekabe Kazuya's great favourite. Too soon, Yaguchi. Thank you so much.”
Photos
1Asami Yaguchi, Japanese voice actress
by People Forever
same, my kid loved Tamagotchi and I never once thought about who was doing the voices