Matt Schley
August 21, 2023 
Nizo Yamamoto, an acclaimed art director known for his work on the films of Studio Ghibli and others, has died at the age of 70. The cause was stomach cancer.
Yamamoto was born in Goto, Nagasaki (where a museum dedicated to Yamamoto can now be found) in 1953. He studied architecture, and began illustrating backgrounds for anime after moving to Tokyo for art school.
He began working with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata on the TV series Future Boy Conan, and would go on to work as art director on many Ghibli films, including Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, and Princess Mononoke. He also worked on films by Mamoru Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and Makoto Shinkai (Weathering With You).
Yamamoto’s works are currently on display at the Hamamatsu Municipal Museum of Art in an exhibition that runs until September 10.
Source: Natalie
