Nobuyo Oyama, the voice actor of Doraemon , has passed away at the age of 90. His agency confirmed his passing on Friday, October 11, 2024, after he died on September 29, 2024 due to old age.
Actors 7's agency apologized for the delay in announcing the iconic voice actor's passing. "We express our sincere gratitude for the kindness shown to the deceased during his lifetime," the statement said.
A private funeral attended by close relatives was held for Nobuyo Oyama. Born in Tokyo, Oyama was widely known as the voice of a Japanese anime character beloved by generations across Asia.
Before voicing Doraemon, he also starred in the NHK puppet show "Boo Foo Woo" from 1960 to 1967. However, it was his role in the animated series that began in 1979 that made him globally famous, to the point that the show became known as the 'Oyama edition' to distinguish it from other Doraemon adaptations.
Oyama is best known for voicing the eponymous character in the television series 'Doraemon', which aired from 1979 to 2005. It is one of three shows in the larger Doraemon franchise, which has become popular in many countries, including Hong Kong and Indonesia. The franchise includes numerous animated films, video games, music albums, and manga series.
The story of Doraemon focuses on the adventures of a robot cat from the 22nd century who comes to the present to help a boy named Nobita, who is often considered helpless. This blue-and-white character often saves Nobita with secret gadgets from the future that he takes out of a pocket on his stomach.
News of Oyama's death sparked a wave of tributes on social media, with fans from around the world expressing their condolences and remembering Oyama as their childhood sound icon. Kazuhiko Inoue, the voice actor for Kakashi in 'Naruto', expressed his gratitude for Oyama's hard work over the years.
Shortly after Oyama's death, sad news also came from Noriko Ohara, Nobita's voice actor, who died in July 2024. Ohara passed away at the age of 88 after battling an unspecified illness.
Noriko Ohara, who was born in Tokyo on October 2, 1935, voiced Nobita from the 1970s to the early 2000s. She was also involved in other popular anime projects and won various awards in Japan.
Doraemon itself is a manga created by Fujiko F. Fujio in 1969. The story focuses on Nobita, a very lazy 5th grader, who gets a robot cat named Doraemon to help him solve various problems. The animated film Doraemon began airing in Indonesia on December 9, 1990, and since then has become a highly anticipated show for children.