Obayashi is a director, editor and screenwriter. He became interested in film as a little boy making films with an 8 mm camera. His first film shot on 16 mm tape, Tabeta hito, received the special jury’s award at the International Festival of Experimental Films in Belgium in 1963. He studied film at the Seijo University, and began his directing career as a director of many commercials. He collaborated with many famous stars such as Catherine Deneuve, Kirk Douglas and Charles Bronson. He made his feature film debut with the horror Hausu (House) in 1977. He gained popularity with the “Onomichi” trilogy that consists of films Tenkosei (Exchange Students, 1982), Toki wo kakeru shoujo (The Little Girl Who Conquered Time, 1983) and Sabishinbou (Lonely Heart, 1985) whose protagonists are high school kids. His other films include Ijintachi tono natsu (Summer Among the Zombies, 1988), Pekin no suika (Beijin Watermelon, 1989), Mizu no tabibito: Samurai kizzu (Samurai Kids, 1993), Onna zakari (A Mature Woman, 1994), Sada (1998), Riyuu (The Motive, 2004).