Japanese voice actor Ohara Noriko, best known for playing Nobi Nobita in the long-running anime series "Doraemon," has died at the age of 88.

Her agency said in a statement on Tuesday that Ohara was receiving medical treatment for an unspecified illness but died on July 12.

Born in Tokyo, she began her career as an actor in the early years of television before making her name as a voice actor for animation characters.

She provided the voice of Nobita, a schoolboy who befriends robot cat Doraemon, for 26 years from 1979.

She also played the lead character in "Future Boy Conan," an anime series broadcast on NHK in 1978.

Ohara also dubbed the voices of American and French actors including Shirley MacLaine and Brigitte Bardot in movies for the Japanese market.

Ohara received the lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Seiyu Awards in 2007. The Japanese awards honor voice actors who gave outstanding performances.