Teruaki "Jimmy" Murakami is a renowned animator who has worked in California, New York, Italy, Japan, Ireland and London. Murakami's most-well known works include THE SNOWMAN (1982) and WHEN THE WIND BLOWS (1986). Murakami lived in San Jose, California until his family was forcibly relocated to a Japanese internment camp at Tule Lake, CA. The family lost their farm and after the war decided to move close to friends in Los Angeles. Murakami attended the Chouinard Art Institute where he studied with animators Marc Davis, Ward Kimball and Don Graham. In 1956 Murakami went to work at UPA studios in Burbank and in 1957 he joined the team of Pintoff studios in New York. In 1965 he opened Murakami Wolf studio with Fred Wolf where he completed works including the Oscar-nominated THE MAGIC PEAR TREE. During the 1980s Murakami began to work extensively in television animation in the United States, Ireland and the UK. Murakami is also a skilled painter and wood-cutter.