Yamashita, Yoshimitsu

Birthplace: Japan

Yoshimitsu Yamashita graduated from Kokugakuin University with a Major in History. Yamashita first started out in the Anime industry in 1997 working in Production Management at JCF. Amazingly, he has never been formally trained in art. His talent for drawing was first discovered through various doodles and sketches he would make on company paperwork.

Yamashita’s first project as an animator was Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo The Movie 2. He continued to work at JCF for several years, and then made the leap to becoming a freelance animator. Samurai Champloo was the first project he worked on freelance. Around 2006, Yamashita joined BeeTrain and started work as Character Designer and Animation Director on the TV show Ginyuu Mokushiroku Meine Liebe wieder. A short while later, the Animation Department at BeeTrain was spun off into new company, C-Station, and Yamashita moved with it. Today Yamashita retains a seat at C-Station, but regularly contracts out to work on various external projects.

(Source: animefest.org)