11 Facts About Nobuhiko Obayashi

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements.

Nobuhiko Obayashi began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting filmography as a director spanned almost 60 years.

Nobuhiko Obayashi is best known as the director of the 1977 horror film House, which has garnered a cult following.

Nobuhiko Obayashi was notable for his distinct surreal filmmaking style, as well as the anti-war themes commonly embedded in his films.

Nobuhiko Obayashi made his first 8 mm film in 1944 at the age of 6, the hand-drawn animated short Popeye's Treasure Island.

Toward the end of his stay at the university Nobuhiko Obayashi began working on a series of short experimental films.

Dentsu, a TV commercial project in Japan looking for new talent, asked members of Film Independents if they would like to direct commercials; Nobuhiko Obayashi was the only one from the group to accept the offer, and thus began earning a living as a director in the new field of television advertisements.

Nobuhiko Obayashi made his feature film directorial debut with the horror film House, released in 1977.

In 2016, Nobuhiko Obayashi was diagnosed with stage-four terminal cancer and was only given a few months to live.

Nobuhiko Obayashi shot and edited his final film, titled Labyrinth of Cinema, while receiving cancer treatment.

Nobuhiko Obayashi died on 10 April 2020 at the age of 82, from lung cancer in Tokyo.