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Naoto Ohshima

b. 1964

Japanese video game artist

Video game artistTelevision producer Video game director
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About Naoto Ohshima

Born 1964. Naoto Ohshima is a Japanese video game artist, television producer, video game director, character designer and game producer.

(born February 26, 1964) is a Japanese video game designer and artist, best known for designing Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Sonic Team considered numerous potential animal mascots before deciding on Ohshima's design, with an armadillo or hedgehog being the top choices because their spikes worked well with the concept of rolling into enemies.

After leaving Sonic Team, Ohshima formed an independent game company called Artoon in 1999. There he went on to work on such games as Pinobee (2001), Blinx: The Time Sweeper (2002), and Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space (2004). In 2010, Artoon was absorbed into AQ Interactive, and Ohshima and other key members of Artoon left to form Arzest. Early in his career, he was credited under the nickname "Big Island" in a number of games, which is a literal translation of his family name.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Video game artist, television producer, video game director, Character designer, Game producer
Nationality
Education
Kyoto Seika University
Also known as
Naoto Ōshima, BigIsland, Naoto Oshima, Naoto Oushima, Oshima Naoto, Ohshima Naoto
moreŌshima Naoto

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Naoto Ohshima's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Naoto Ohshima?

Japanese video game artist

When was Naoto Ohshima born?

Naoto Ohshima was born on 26 February 1964 in Osaka.

What is Naoto Ohshima's occupation?

Naoto Ohshima is a video game artist, television producer, video game director, character designer and game producer.

What nationality is Naoto Ohshima?

Naoto Ohshima is Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Naoto Ohshima

· Wikidata: Q658384

· DBpedia: Naoto Ohshima

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Naoto Ohshima. https://biography.guide/naoto-ohshima/

MLA: "Naoto Ohshima." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/naoto-ohshima/.

Chicago: "Naoto Ohshima." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/naoto-ohshima/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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