Art professor and animator Masahiro Katayama passed away in a Tokyo hospital yesterday due to pneumonia. He was 56.

Through his career, Katayama worked as an illustrator, animator, and manga creator. He served as the head of Group Ebisen, an animators' collective that included Hiroshi Hara, Sunao Katabuchi(Black Lagoon), and Hiroyuki Kakudou (Digimon) in its ranks. He also served as the administrative head of the Japan Animation Association and Anido, and co-organized the Hida Interantional Animation Festival of Folktales and Fables, Hiroshima International Animation Festival, the Japanese government's Media Arts Festival, and the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

In 1998, Katayama joined Tama Art University's Department of Graphic Design, and was a vital figure in the spread of animation studies across Japanese universities. He was a mentor of Academy Award winner Kunio Kato (La Maison en Petits Cubes).

We at Anime Dream offer our deepest condolences to Katayama-san's family and friends.