Toshio Gotō

was a Japanese film director. He was born in Ina, Nagano, Japan and was primarily known for films about humanity's relationship with nature.

Gotō worked as an assistant director of Satsuo Yamamoto from 1962 to 1978. He made his directorial debut in 1978 with Komugīro no tenshi suzume to shōnen. His 2009 film Beauty was entered into the 31st Moscow International Film Festival.

Gotō died from lymphoma on 22 November 2025, at the age of 87.

Filmography Director (1978)

(1982, also co-wrote) – Gotō received the Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists for his work on the film.

(1983)

, also known as The Forest of the Little Bear (1987) – Junko Sakurada won the 12th Hochi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in this film. Itazu Kuma was also nominated in four categories at the 11th Japan Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Junko Sakurada), Best Editing (Jun Nabeshima), Best Music Score (Masaru Sato) and Best Sound (Tsutomu Honda).

, also known as Under Aurora or Beneath the Aurora (1990) – Co-director & co-writer alongside Petras Abukiavicus and Sergei Vronsky. The film is set in Siberia and stars Koji Yakusho in the lead role.

(1994, also co-wrote) – Based on Katsumoto Saotome's 1974 illustrated children's novel of the same name about the Vietnam War.

(1997) – Anime film depicting the Kobe earthquake and its aftermath.

(1999) – Anime OVA/short film based on a children's novel, produced by Mushi Production and broadcast on television.

(1999)

(2009)

A third Komugīro no tenshi film was planned but never realized.

Editing Yōjasō no Maō