Nobuhiko Obayashi (January 9, 1938 – April 10, 2020) was 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 a prolific number of films in his 50 years of working with the medium.
Known For
House
(1977)
Director
Labyrinth of Cinema
(2020)
Director
Full Filmography
Directing
Popeye's Treasure Island
(1944)
Director
The Stupid Teacher
(1945)
Director
King Kong
(1952)
Director
Youth・Cloud
(1957)
Director
Dandanko
(1957)
Director
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Director
Thursday
(1961)
Director
T-shi no gogo
(1962)
Director
Nakasendo
(1963)
Director
Onomichi
(1963)
Director
An Eater
(1963)
Director
Remembrance
(1963)
Director
Complexe
(1964)
Director
Emotion
(1966)
Director
Japanese Erotica: Five Films on Love and Sex from the Japanese Underground of the Experimental Cinema
(1967)
Director
Confession
(1968)
Director
Foreign Correspondent - The Case of a Filmmaker
(1968)
Director
Cheers in the Palm!
(1969)
Director
Memories of the Sea = Sabishinbo, Introduction
(1970)
Director
Orere orara
(1971)
Director
Stampede Country
(1972)
Director
Happy Dinosaur's Album
(1972)
Director
The Visitor in the Eye
(1977)
Director
House
(1977)
Director
Take Me Away!
(1978)
Director
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi
(1979)
Director
School in the Crosshairs
(1981)
Director
I Are You, You Am Me
(1982)
Director
Cute Devil
(1982)
Director
The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
(1983)
Director
Lover, Come Back to Me
(1983)
Director
The Deserted City
(1984)
Director
The Island Closest to Heaven
(1984)
Director
Kenya Boy
(1984)
Director
Four Sisters
(1985)
Director
Miss Lonely
(1985)
Director
April Fish
(1986)
Director
His Motorbike, Her Island
(1986)
Director
Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast
(1986)
Director
The Drifting Classroom
(1987)
Director
The Strange Pair
(1988)
Director
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(1988)
Director
The Discarnates
(1988)
Director
Beijing Watermelon
(1989)
Director
Making of 'Dreams'
(1990)
Director
Why She Won't Marry
(1990)
Director
Chizuko's Younger Sister
(1991)
Director
The Rocking Horsemen
(1992)
Director
Samurai Kids
(1993)
Director
Russian Lullabies
(1993)
Director
Haruka, Nostalgia
(1993)
Director
Turning Point
(1994)
Director
Goodbye for Tomorrow
(1995)
Director
Tom Cat Holmes' Deduction
(1996)
Director
I Want to Hear the Wind's Song
(1998)
Director
Legend of the Cat Monster
(1998)
Director
Sada
(1998)
Director
Tom Cat Holmes and the Twilight Hotel
(1998)
Director
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
(1999)
Director
One Summer's Day
(1999)
Director
The Stupid Teacher
(2000)
Director
Shinobugawa
(2000)
Director
Farewell
(2001)
Director
Obayashi Nobuhiko's Special Message
(2001)
Director
From the theme of Mahoroba "Doi Koinouta"
(2001)
Director
The Last Snow
(2002)
Director
The Motive
(2004)
Director
Song of Goodbye
(2007)
Director
Switching – Goodbye Me
(2007)
Director
Scenery to Remember
(2008)
Director
Casting Blossoms to the Sky
(2012)
Director
Seven Weeks
(2014)
Director
Casting Blossoms to the Sky: A Movie Document
(2014)
Director
Hanagatami
(2017)
Director
Labyrinth of Cinema
(2020)
Director
Acting
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Foreign Correspondent - The Case of a Filmmaker
(1968)
Himself
Confession
(1968)
The Visitor in the Eye
(1977)
Tennis Referee
House
(1977)
Husband (uncredited)
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi
(1979)
Film Director
Making of いい旅チャレンジ20,000 km 清水港線・旅の表情
(1980)
MOMENT
(1981)
Zokubutsu zukan
(1982)
Cute Devil
(1982)
The Unspoiled Diamond
(1982)
Meeting Host
Making of 'Dreams'
(1990)
Self
Russian Lullabies
(1993)
Self
Kane nara kaesen!
(1994)
The Stupid Teacher
(2000)
The Director John
From the theme of Mahoroba "Doi Koinouta"
(2001)
Obayashi Nobuhiko's Special Message
(2001)
What's a Director?
(2006)
Constructing a House
(2010)
Self
Film Director Nobuhiko Obayashi: His Promise
(2019)
Self
Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films
(2019)
Self
Extro
(2019)
Self
Labyrinth of Cinema
(2020)
The Mysterious Old Pianist / The Director John
Editing
Dandanko
(1957)
Editor
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Editor
Thursday
(1961)
Editor
Remembrance
(1963)
Editor
Complexe
(1964)
Editor
Emotion
(1966)
Editor
Confession
(1968)
Editor
The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
(1983)
Editor
The Island Closest to Heaven
(1984)
Editor
April Fish
(1986)
Editor
Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast
(1986)
Editor
His Motorbike, Her Island
(1986)
Editor
The Drifting Classroom
(1987)
Editor
The Strange Pair
(1988)
Editor
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(1988)
Editor
Making of 'Dreams'
(1990)
Editor
Chizuko's Younger Sister
(1991)
Editor
The Rocking Horsemen
(1992)
Editor
Haruka, Nostalgia
(1993)
Editor
Samurai Kids
(1993)
Editor
Tom Cat Holmes' Deduction
(1996)
Editor
I Want to Hear the Wind's Song
(1998)
Editor
Legend of the Cat Monster
(1998)
Editor
Sada
(1998)
Editor
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
(1999)
Editor
The Stupid Teacher
(2000)
Editor
The Last Snow
(2002)
Editor
Switching – Goodbye Me
(2007)
Editor
Scenery to Remember
(2008)
Editor
Casting Blossoms to the Sky
(2012)
Editor
Seven Weeks
(2014)
Editor
Casting Blossoms to the Sky: A Movie Document
(2014)
Editor
Hanagatami
(2017)
Editor
Labyrinth of Cinema
(2020)
Editor
Writing
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Screenplay
Thursday
(1961)
Screenplay
Complexe
(1964)
Writer
Emotion
(1966)
Writer
Confession
(1968)
Writer
The Mouse and His Child
(1977)
Lyricist
The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
(1983)
Dialogue
Miss Lonely
(1985)
Screenplay
April Fish
(1986)
Screenplay
The Drifting Classroom
(1987)
Adaptation
The Strange Pair
(1988)
Screenplay
Haruka, Nostalgia
(1993)
Writer
Turning Point
(1994)
Screenplay
I Want to Hear the Wind's Song
(1998)
Writer
Tom Cat Holmes and the Twilight Hotel
(1998)
Screenplay
Sada
(1998)
Writer
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
(1999)
Screenplay
One Summer's Day
(1999)
Writer
The Stupid Teacher
(2000)
Writer
Farewell
(2001)
Writer
The Last Snow
(2002)
Writer
The Motive
(2004)
Writer
Song of Goodbye
(2007)
Writer
Switching – Goodbye Me
(2007)
Screenplay
Casting Blossoms to the Sky
(2012)
Screenplay
Seven Weeks
(2014)
Screenplay
Hanagatami
(2017)
Screenplay
Labyrinth of Cinema
(2020)
Screenplay
Sound
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Original Music Composer
Remembrance
(1963)
Original Music Composer
Evil Spirits of Japan
(1970)
Original Music Composer
Death at an Old Mansion
(1975)
Original Music Composer
The Deserted City
(1984)
Original Music Composer
Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast
(1986)
Original Music Composer
Chizuko's Younger Sister
(1991)
Theme Song Performance
Legend of the Cat Monster
(1998)
Original Music Composer
Camera
The Girl in the Picture
(1958)
Director of Photography
Thursday
(1961)
Director of Photography
An Eater
(1963)
Director of Photography
Complexe
(1964)
Director of Photography
Emotion
(1966)
Camera Operator and Director of Photography
Confession
(1968)
Director of Photography
Crew
Production