Nobuyo Ōyama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nobuyo Ōyama
大山 のぶ代
Born	Nobuyo Ōyama (大山羨代) (1933-10-16)October 16, 1933 Shibuya, Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Died	September 29, 2024(2024-09-29) (aged 90)
Occupation	Actress screenwriter voice actress singer essayist television personality
Years active	1956–2016
Agent	Actors Seven
Known for	Voice of Doraemon and Monokuma
Spouse(s)	Keisuke Sagawa ​ ​ (m. 1964; died 2017)​

Nobuyo Ōyama (born October 16, 1933 – died September 29, 2024) was a famous Japanese actress and voice actress. She was known for many roles, but most people remember her as the voice of Doraemon. She voiced the beloved robot cat in the Doraemon anime series for 26 years, from 1979 to 2005.

She also voiced Monokuma, the main villain from the popular Danganronpa video game series. She played Monokuma from 2010 to 2016 in the first three video games, two stage shows, and the anime Danganronpa: The Animation. Her husband was the television personality Keisuke Sagawa.

Her Amazing Career

Nobuyo Ōyama started her voice acting journey in 1965. Her first anime role was the character Punch in Hustle Punch. Later that year, she voiced Katsuo Isono in Sazae-san.

After a few other roles, she got the part that made her a legend: Doraemon. She was the voice of Doraemon in the long-running anime series from April 1979 until March 2005. She decided to stop voicing Doraemon because of health issues. Another voice actress, Wasabi Mizuta, took over the role in the new Doraemon series.

Eight years after leaving Doraemon, Nobuyo Ōyama made a big return. She began voicing Monokuma, the tricky villain from the Danganronpa series, from 2010 to 2015.

Later Years and Passing

In May 2015, her husband, Keisuke Sagawa, shared that Nobuyo Ōyama was living with dementia. This meant she couldn't take on new acting jobs. Because of her health, another voice actress, Tarako, took over the role of Monokuma in 2016.

In April 2016, Ōyama moved to a retirement home. This happened because her husband also started having health problems and found it hard to care for her at home. After Keisuke Sagawa passed away in July 2017, her manager, Akiko Kobayashi, continued to visit and look after her, just as Sagawa had wished. Even though her condition progressed, she was said to be in good health in October 2017. She enjoyed spending time with other residents and taking part in activities like choir.

Nobuyo Ōyama passed away on September 29, 2024, in a hospital in Tokyo. She was 90 years old. Her management company announced her death on October 11. It was shared that she had faced health challenges in her last year.

A private funeral was held by her family. At the funeral, a photo of her late husband, a special sweet called chestnut yokan, and a stuffed Doraemon toy were placed with her in the coffin.

After her passing, the Doraemon (2005) anime series showed a special message of thanks and sympathy for Nobuyo Ōyama. It included clips from the 1979 series. The next day, the Sazae-san anime also showed a memorial message for her. Wasabi Mizuta, the current voice of Doraemon, shared her sadness and condolences on her blog.

Voice Roles in TV Shows

Voice Roles in Movies

Voice Roles in Video Games