Noriko Ohara, voice of Doraemon's Nobita dies at 88

Ohara, whose real name was Noriko Tobe, had been receiving treatment for a disease, according to a report from Jiji Press citing her agency.

A native of Tokyo, Ohara voiced Nobita, the lazy but optimistic boy looked after by the robotic earless cat Doraemon, for 26 years starting in 1979. This role brought her recognition across multiple generations.

Ohara also voiced a variety of characters in other anime works, including energetic boys such as Peter, a goatherd in "Heidi: Girl of the Alps," and Conan in "Future Boy Conan," as well as sultry females such as Doronjo, the villain in "Yatterman," and Oyuki in "Urusei Yatsura."

Additionally, Ohara provided the Japanese dubbed voices for American actor Shirley MacLaine and French actor Catherine Deneuve in various films.

-- BERNAMA