TOKYO (AP) — Nobuyo Oyama, best known as the raspy voice of Doraemon, the beloved cartoon robotic cat from the future, has died. She was 90.
Oyama, who voiced Doraemon for more than a quarter century, died of natural causes on Sept. 29, her agency, Actors Seven, said Friday.
Oyama performed the voice of the blue-and-white robotic cat from 1979 to 2005.
Created by the cartoonist Fujiko F. Fujio in 1970, Doraemon and the story of his friendship with Nobita, a good-hearted but somewhat lazy boy, became hugely popular. The manga and anime series have been read and watched by millions of fans in Japan and across the world and have been translated into dozens of languages.
In the series, Doraemon arrives from the 22nd century and helps Nobita in difficult situations, often with gadgets from the future such as an “anywhere door" and “take-copter.”
Born in Tokyo in 1933, Oyama was an aspiring actor and debuted in a 1956 drama on Japan’s NHK public television. She had her first voice acting role in 1957 in the dubbed version of the TV drama series “Lassie.”
Oyama’s raspy voice quickly gained her popularity in anime and children’s programs. She was the voice of one of three piglets in a popular children’s puppet show in the early 1960s and of teenage boy Katsuo in the family anime series “Sazaesan” prior to “Doraemon.”
Oyama retired as Doraemon in March 2005 as part of a renewal of the voice actors for the main characters. “I hope Doraemon will still be a beloved character in the distant future,” Oyama said.
In 2015, Oyama’s husband disclosed that she had developed dementia. Even so, as head of a sound arts school, Oyama was known to always succeed on the first try when she was asked to perform in her Doraemon voice.
Oyama’s agency said her funeral was held privately by her relatives.
Noriko Ohara, the voice of Nobita, died in July.
Nobuyo Oyama, best known for her raspy voice of Doraemon, the world’s beloved cat-robot from the future, speaks during an interview in Feb. 1999, in Tokyo. (Kyodo News via AP)
Nobuyo Oyama, best known for her raspy voice of Doraemon, the world’s beloved cat-robot from the future, speaks during an interview in Feb. 1999, in Tokyo. (Kyodo News via AP)
FILE - Doraemon, one of the most popular animation characters in Japan, participates in a kick-off ceremony of the Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo when Tokyo is bidding against Istanbul and Madrid to host the 2020 Olympics on Aug. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
FILE - Models of Doraemon, one of Japan's most popular manga and anime characters, are displayed in Shanghai on April 28, 2013. (AP Photo/File)
Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.
In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.
With the tiny supply of ritually pure oil that they found in the temple, they lit the menorah — and it stayed lit for eight days. The ritual of lighting a nightly candle, as well as the emphasis on cooking foods in oil such as potato pancakes called latkes, memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.
The dates of the holiday are based on Hebrew month of Kislev, which usually coincides with November-December in the Gregorian calendar.
This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from Dec. 25, 2024, through Jan. 2, 2025.
Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.
For this reason, even though the Talmud reflects a dispute over the order of lighting, most start with one candle and increase the lighting by one more candle each night while reciting or chanting special blessings.
The candles are added from right to left, but lit from left to right on the menorah, thus always starting with the newest light. The special menorah used for Hanukkah has eight branches, with a ninth place for the candle called shamash from which all others are lit.
The tradition calls for candles with a real flame, though some also use electric ones in public displays, such as in hospitals, for safety reasons.
A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.
The lighting of menorahs in city streets and parks has become more prominent in recent years in countries around the world, including in front of public landmarks.
In addition to menorah lightings, giving to charity and social works are also part of the celebration for many, reflecting the belief that the Jewish people are called by God to help make the world better for all.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Rabbi Peter Tarlow lights a candle on a menorah during a Chicanukah event at Holocaust Museum Houston on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
