Yasuji Murata  

Yasuji Murata (born January 24th, 1896 and passed away on November 2nd, 1966) was an influential Japanese animator who played a significant role in the development of anime. He studied under Sanae Yamamoto and later became known for his work at Yokohama Cinema studio where he created numerous educational films featuring characters such as Momotarō and Norakuro. Murata's cutout animation style, along with Noburō Ōfuji, made him a master of this technique. His students included notable animators like Yoshitarou Kataoka.