Mutsugoro death: Renowned Japanese filmmaker and zoologist Masanori Hata dies at 87

Hata was known affectionately as Mutsugoro or ‘mudfish’ in Japanese

Masanori Hata or Mutsugoro, known for ‘The Adventures of Milo and Otis’, won multiple awards (Kyodo TV)

Renowned Japanese zoologist, filmmaker and animal lover Masanori Hata has died at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of heartwarming films on animals and a lifetime of devotion to his beloved pets.

Hata, known affectionately as Mutsugoro which means mudfish in Japanese, gained worldwide acclaim as the director of classic 1986 movie The Adventures of Milo and Otis, which tells the story of a kitten and a pug’s unlikely friendship.

He wore many hats and gained popularity as a filmmaker, a novelist and a zoologist.

Hata died after suffering a heart attack, according to media reports.

His passion for animals was evident throughout his life, which he spent at his ranch in Hokkaido, Japan, where he moved in 1987 with his family when it was uninhabited. Hata lived with horses, brown bears and dogs of various breeds and sizes.

The ranch, which he called an “animal kingdom”, was also the setting for his famous film and is named after him.

Despite his age, Hata remained active and continued to offer practical advice to pet owners via his YouTube channel. He also shared photos of his encounters with animals on Instagram.

He was also a television host, with his show Mutsugoro and His Wonderful Friends airing on Fuji TV for years.

Hata’s love for animals shone through his films.

A glowing 1989 review of The Adventures of Milo and Otis in The New York Times praised the film’s “almost hallucinatory beauty” and noted that Hata’s use of real animals lent it a depth and poignancy that could not be achieved with animation alone.

Born in Fukuoka city, Hata earned a degree in animal physiology from the University of Tokyo before embarking on a career in film.

He made over 20 documentaries during a stint with educational firm Gakken before gaining widespread recognition for his work as a zoologist and filmmaker.

He won numerous awards throughout his lifetime, including the Japan Essayist’s Club Award in 1968 and Japan’s Kikuchi Kan Prize for literature in 1977.