'Doraemon' voice actor Nobuyo Oyama passes away at 90

Japanese voice actress Nobuyo Oyama, best known as the voice of Doraemon, has passed away at the age of 90.

Her agency, Actors 7, announced that she died peacefully on September 29. They apologized for relaying the news late, adding, “We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness you extended to the deceased during her lifetime.”

A private funeral was held for Oyama, and tributes poured in from fans worldwide who cherished her iconic voice and the joy she brought.

“Ms. Nobuyo Ōyama… She was someone who supported me from the very beginning of my career. Thank you so much for all your hard work over the years. I truly appreciate it,” tweeted Kazuhiko Inoue, who voiced fan favorite character Kakashi in the global manga hit Naruto.

"Oh no. This is sad. One of the greatest voice actors of all time (the voice of the original Doraemon and Monokuma) has passed away :-( With no exaggeration Oyama was so central to Japanese anime it would not have been the same without her," one X user said.

The news comes shortly after the death of Noriko Ohara, the voice of Nobita, in July.

Oyama is most famous for voicing the iconic title character in the beloved anime series "Doraemon," which aired from 1979 to 2005.

Born in Tokyo, she began her voice acting career in the 1960s, voicing of one of three piglets in the NHK puppet show Boo Foo Woo, and teenage boy Katsuo in the family anime series Sazaesan. However, it was her portrayal of Doraemon that catapulted her to international stardom.

In 2015, Oyama’s husband, Japanese actor Keisuke Sagawa, said on a radio show that she was living with dementia, and would not be embarking on future work.