Doraemon director Tsutomu Shibayama passed away on March 6 due to lung cancer.
The news was shared by animation studio Ajia-do, where he served as its former president and representative director, in a press release published on their website.
"All of our employees would like to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness and warm support shown to him during his lifetime. In accordance with the wishes of his family, the funeral was held privately with close relatives only," the studio wrote as per English translation.
"A separate memorial gathering is planned for a later date. Details such as the date and venue will be announced once they have been finalized," the studio added.
After serving as an animation director on titles such as Dokonjo Gaeru and Ganso Tensai Bakabon, Tsutomu went on to direct the Doraemon film series for more than 20 years.
He also served as chief director of the Doraemon television series and held directing and chief directing roles on numerous productions, including Nintama Rantaro and Chibi Maruko-chan, among others.
Tsutomu was 84 years old at the time of his passing.
Doraemon follows an earless robotic cat from the 22nd century who travels back in time to help a young boy named Nobita Nobi navigate everyday life.
The series first premiered in Japan on April 2, 1979, and has since been dubbed in over 60 countries. It ran for 26 years, producing more than 1,787 episodes and 30 specials, making it the longest-running among its animated adaptations. The franchise is based on the manga by Fujiko F. Fujio.
In the Philippines, Doraemon became part of ABS-CBN’s lineup in March 2019 following a partnership with Animation International Ltd., ShoPro, and ADK Emotions Inc. The series aired on the now-defunct cable channel Yey! beginning in May of the same year.
Its run was cut short in July 2020 after Yey! went off air following the shutdown of ABS-CBN’s broadcast operations. A year later, the beloved anime returned to Philippine television through A2Z after ABS-CBN entered into a block time agreement with the network.