Masayasu Sagisu, Producer and Director at Eiken, Dies at 93
Masayasu Sagisu, one of the important figures of the Japanese animation industry, passed away at the age of 93. According to Anime News Network, Sagisu worked as a producer and director at Eiken, which evolved from TCJ Animation. Eiken is considered one of the cornerstones of the industry, with a history stretching from the era when television animation took shape in Japan to the present day.
The studio's foundations were laid in the 1960s with Television Corporation of Japan (TCJ), and during this period early TV anime productions such as Tetsujin 28-go and 8 Man emerged. Eiken, restructured as the successor to TCJ, solidified its place in anime history with long-running projects like Sazae-san. Masayasu Sagisu also took on production and management roles in many of the studio's anime projects during this transition.
The Sagisu family's influence on the anime world is not limited to Masayasu alone. The famous composer Shiro Sagisu is his son. Shiro Sagisu became a name known worldwide for the music of productions such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Bleach, and Shin Godzilla. Therefore, Masayasu Sagisu's death means the loss of an important representative of a family legacy that touched anime from both the production and music fronts.
Details regarding the cause of death and funeral arrangements have not yet been shared with the public. An official statement from his family or Eiken is expected in the coming days. Sagisu's loss shows that one more of the first generation of television animation producers has left us; the works he left behind and his family's contributions to the anime and music worlds will be remembered for a long time.
