Animation studio Ajiado announced on Tuesday that its former president and CEO Tsutomu Shibayama died on March 6 due to lung cancer. He was 84. A private funeral was held, attended only by close family members.

Shibayama was born on March 9, 1941. He joined Toei Doga (now Toei Animation) in 1963, later moving to A Production (now Shin'ei Doga) in 1966. He worked as an animator on programs such as Obake no Q-Taro and Kyojin no Hoshi, and eventually worked his way to the position of director. He co-founded the studio Ajiado in 1978. Shibayama directed the Doraemon film series for over 20 years, with the 2004 Doraemon the Movie: Nobita in the Wan-Nyan Spacetime Odyssey (image right) film as his last. Shibayama also served as chief director of the Doraemon television series.

Shibayama also directed the Chibi Maruko-chan series that ran from 1990-1992, the 1990 film, and the 1992 Chibi Maruko-chan: Watashi no Suki na Uta film. He directed the first season of the 1989 Ranma ½ anime. Aside from the Doraemon series, Shibayama also served as chief director for the Nintama Rantarō series and 1996 film, Kaiketsu Zorori, Nyani ga Nyandaa Nyandaa Kamen, and Shin Dokonjo Gaeru.

Shibayama was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF) in 2018.

Sources: Ajiado, Comic Natalie