Nobuhiko Obayashi Dies: Influential Japanese Filmmaker Was 82

Nobuhiko Obayashi, an influential Japanese film director, has died. He passed at 82 from cancer that was revealed in 2016 as terminal. The website for his latest film said he died late on Friday.

His final film, Labyrinth of Cinema, was originally set for release in Japan on the day of his death, but that was pushed back because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

The website had a terse announcement: “Director Obayashi fought his sickness to the day of the scheduled release of his film. Rest in peace, director Obayashi, you who loved films so much you kept on making them.”

Obayashi had more than 40 movies and thousands of TV shows, commercials and other video on his resume. War was a recurring theme, as was the art of filmmaking.

His popular films include his 1977 House, a horror comedy, and Hanagatami, released in 2017, a tale of young love thwarted by war.

Born in 1938, he got his first 8mm camera from his father.

Obayashi is survived by wife Kyoko Obayashi, an actress and film producer; and daughter Chigumi, an actress. Details on a memorial service were not immediately available.