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Nobuyo Oyama, the iconic voice actress best known for her role as Doraemon in the long-running anime series, has died at the age of 90. Her agency announced that Oyama passed away on September 29th due to natural causes.
Oyama (whose real name was Yamashita Nobuyo) was born on October 16th, 1933, in Tokyo and possessed a distinctive voice from an early age. She began her career as an actress, graduating from Haiyuza Training School and joining Gekidan Shinjinkai in 1957. Her unique husky voice quickly led her to voice acting, with her debut role in the Japanese dub of “Lassie” in September 1957.
Oyama’s most famous role came in 1979 when she began voicing Doraemon, the beloved robotic cat from the future. She continued in this role for 26 years until her retirement in 2005, solidifying Doraemon as her signature character.
In the gaming world, fans knew Oyama for voicing Monokuma, the antagonist in the popular Danganronpa series. She lent her talents to both “Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc” and “Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair,” contributing to the franchise’s success. Throughout her career, Oyama demonstrated versatility across various media. She voiced Isono Katsuo in “Sazae-san,” appeared in live-action films and TV dramas, and worked as a singer, scriptwriter, and essayist.
In 2008, Oyama suffered a myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. In 2015, it was announced that she had been diagnosed with dementia. Moreover, Oyama’s passing marks the end of an era in Japanese voice acting. Her contributions to anime and gaming have left an indelible mark on the industry and in the hearts of fans worldwide. Close relatives held a private funeral for Oyama.
