Tatsuo Shimamura

Tatsuo Shimamura graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1958. He joined Toei Animation the same year as part of the first group of new recruits to work on Hakujaden, the first Japanese animated feature film in full color. He went on to work at Gakken and Tokyo Commercial before going independent in 1973 and establishing Shimamura Planning Office. One year later, he established the renowned animation studio Shirogumi, of which he remains chairman and representative director.

Shimamura is an animator, commercial director, filmmaker, special effects director and producer, who has worked on about 1200 projects. He directed multiple animated short films and won the Second Prize in Category B at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival 1985 and the Oofuji Noburou Award at the Mainichi Film Awards 1998. Furthermore, he is a professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design, a board member of VFX-JAPAN and honorary member of the Japanese Animation Association.