Nobuhiko Obayashi
b. 1938
Nobuhiko Obayashi is a Japanese director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements who is well known for his surreal visual style. He began his career as a pioneering figure in Japanese experimental film during the 1960s before transitioning to directing more mainstream works such as television and feature films. Though he remains mostly unknown outside of Japan, he has made many films in his 50 years of working with the medium. Obayashi was born on 9 January 1938 in the city of Onomichi, Japan. He was the eldest son of a father who was one in a long paternal line of medical doctors. As his father was called to the battlefront during World War II, he was raised in his early infancy by his maternal grandparents. Through his childhood and adolescence Obayashi followed many artistic pursuits including drawing, writing, playing the piano, and a growing interest in animation and film. In 1955 Obayashi, at the urging of his father, began procedures to enter medical school and become a doctor. However, he shortly thereafter abandoned this initiative partway through an entrance examination in order to follow his artistic interests. In 1956 he was accepted to the li…
Films