TOKYO, July 23 — Japanese voice actress Noriko Ohara, perhaps most known for voicing Nobita Nobi in popular Japanese animated series Doraemon, passed away on July 12, her agency announced today.
According to the agency, Ohara, 88, had been suffering from an illness.
In the original 1973 Doraemon series on Nippon Television, she played Nobita’s mother, Tamako, but ended up playing Nobita himself in the TV Asahi 1979 version.
Ohara also worked as a dubbing actress for foreign films, voicing the Japanese voices of actresses such as Brigitte Bardot and Shirley MacLaine.
Other shows she worked on included Time Bokan, Yatterman and Time Bokan 2000: Kaito Kiramekiman.
Besides her voice work, she also gave lectures and released an audiobook she performed and narrated. Ohara leaves behind her husband and one son.
