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.

Filmography

• 2020Labyrinth of Cinema — The Mysterious Old Pianist / The Director John, Producer, Screenplay, Editor
• 2017Hanagatami — Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 2014Casting Blossoms to the Sky: A Movie Document — Director, Editor
• 2014Seven Weeks — Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 2012Casting Blossoms to the Sky — Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 2011Kalina's Apple: Forest of Chernobyl — Narration
• 2008Scenery to Remember — Director, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 2007Song of Goodbye — Director, Writer, Music
• 2007Switching – Goodbye Me — Director, Screenplay, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 2006What's a Director?
• 2004The Motive — Director, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
• 2002The Last Snow — Writer, Editor, Director
• 2001Farewell — Director, Writer, Original Music Composer
• 2001From the theme of Mahoroba "Doi Koinouta" — Director
• 2001Obayashi Nobuhiko's Special Message — Director
• 2000Shinobugawa — Director
• 2000The Stupid Teacher — The Director John, Writer, Editor
• 1999One Summer's Day — Director, Writer, Original Music Composer
• 1999The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe — Director, Screenplay, Music, Editor
• 1998I Want to Hear the Wind's Song — Original Music Composer, Director, Writer, Editor
• 1998Sada — Director, Writer, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 1998Tom Cat Holmes and the Twilight Hotel — Director, Screenplay
• 1997Time Leap — Executive Producer
• 1996Tom Cat Holmes' Deduction — Editor, Director
• 1995Goodbye for Tomorrow — Director, Original Music Composer, Editor
• 1994I Can't Pay Back
• 1994Turning Point — Director, Screenplay
• 1993Haruka, Nostalgia — Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 1993Russian Lullabies — Self, Director
• 1993Samurai Kids — Director, Editor
• 1992The Rocking Horsemen — Director, Editor
• 1991Chizuko's Younger Sister — Director, Editor, Theme Song Performance
• 1990Making of 'Dreams' — Self, Editor, Director
• 1990Virgin Girl's Story: The Lady is in Danger!
• 1990Why She Won't Marry — Director
• 1989Beijing Watermelon — Director
• 1988My Heart Belongs to Daddy — Director, Editor
• 1988The Discarnates — Director
• 1988The Strange Pair — Editor, Screenplay, Director
• 1987The Drifting Classroom — Director, Adaptation, Editor
• 1986April Fish — Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 1986Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast — Director, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 1986His Motorbike, Her Island — Director, Editor
• 1985Four Sisters — Director
• 1985Lonely Heart — Director, Screenplay
• 1985New Caledonia 28 Days
• 1984Kenya Boy — Director
• 1984The Deserted City — Director, Original Music Composer
• 1984The Island Closest to Heaven — Director, Editor
• 1983Aiko 16-sai — Executive Producer
• 1983Legend of the Cat Monster — Director, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 1983Lover, Come Back to Me — Director
• 1983The Girl Who Leapt Through Time — Director, Editor, Dialogue
• 1982Cute Devil — Director
• 1982I Are You, You Am Me — Director
• 1982The Unspoiled Diamond — Meeting Host
• 1982Zokubutsu zukan
• 1981Completely... With That Air!
• 1981MOMENT
• 1981School in the Crosshairs — Director
• 1980Making of いい旅チャレンジ20,000 km 清水港線・旅の表情
• 1979Temptation of Angel — Producer
• 1979The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi — Film Director
• 1978Inside the Storm of Love
• 1978Pink Lady's Motion Picture — Saloon piano player
• 1978Take Me Away! — Director
• 1977Black Jack: The Visitor in the Eye — Tennis Referee, Director
• 1977House — Husband (uncredited), Director, Special Effects, Producer
• 1977The Mouse and His Child — Lyricist
• 1975Death at an Old Mansion — Original Music Composer
• 1972Happy Dinosaur's Album — Director
• 1972Stampede Country — Director
• 1971Orere orara — Director
• 1970Evil Spirits of Japan — Original Music Composer
• 1970Memories of the Sea = Sabishinbo, Introduction — Director
• 1969Cheers in the Palm! — Director
• 1968Confession — Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
• 1968Foreign Correspondent - The Case of a Filmmaker — Himself, Director
• 1967Japanese Erotica: Five Films on Love and Sex from the Japanese Underground of the Experimental Cinema — Director
• 1966Emotion — Director, Camera Operator, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
• 1964Complexe — Director, Editor, Director of Photography, Writer
• 1963An Eater — Director, Director of Photography
• 1963Nakasendo — Director, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director of Photography, Editor
• 1963Onomichi — Director
• 1963Remembrance — Director, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 1962T-shi no gogo — Director
• 1961Thursday — Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography, Editor
• 1960Dandanko — Director, Editor
• 1958The Girl in the Picture — Director, Screenplay, Editor, Director of Photography, Original Music Composer
• 1957Youth・Cloud — Director
• 1952King Kong — Director
• 1945The Stupid Teacher — Director
• 1944Popeye's Treasure Island — Director

Appearances as themselves (6)

• 2021Notes from the Labyrinth — Self
• 2019Extro — Self
• 2019Film Director Nobuhiko Obayashi: His Promise — Self
• 2019Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films — Self
• 2010Constructing a House — Self
• 1979Golden Partners — Self