TOKYO – Nobuhiko Obayashi, one of Japan's most prolific filmmakers who devoted his works to depicting war's horrors and singing the eternal power of movies, has died.
He was 82. The official site for his latest film, “Labyrinth of Cinema,” said that Obayashi died late Friday. Obayashi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, and was told he had just a few months.
But he continued working, appearing frail and often in a wheelchair. “Labyrinth of Cinema” had been scheduled to be released in Japan on the day of his death.
The date has been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed theaters. “Director Obayashi fought his sickness to the day of the scheduled release of his film.