Independent animator Nobuhiro Aihara passed away

Animator Nobuhiro Aihara died on April 30 on a trip in a hotel in Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia. He was 66. It was discovered by a fellow traveller at the hotel, and the local police determined that he died due to natural causes.

Aihara was born in Kanagawa Prefecture during World War II and since the mid-1960s, he worked on Obotchama kun, Moomins and other titles in the studies of anime, such as the production of study zero and influential Oh. However, he became best known in the communities of local and international art for his work in experimental, independent animation. His one-man animation sample travelled from Tokyo and Kyoto to Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany and the Czech Republic. Among his works were "Stone", "Private," "eizo (kage)," "Line" and "Rain".

Aihara served as a judge in Seoul and Hiroshima international animation festivals, and also taught as a Professor of cinema at the Kyoto University of art and design.

Sources: Yomiuri, Sankei, Jiji Press, Anido
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