Hayato Date (伊達 勇登, Date Hayato, born May 22, 1962) is a Japanese animation director most known for the anime adaptations of Saiyuki and Naruto. After working as a cinematographer and assistant director, he made his first directorial debut (series) in 1999 with Rerere no Genius Bakabon. He has directed the "NARUTO" series, which began broadcasting in 2002, which had become a huge hit both in Japan and overseas. He has been participating in NUNOANI cram school since 2017. Since 2019, he is also in charge of directing promotion courses.
Hayato Date has 24 screen credits in a career dating back to 1997. Their work spans 2 cinematic universes — most prominently Naruto OVA Collection with 4 titles. Signature works include Naruto, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, Tokyo Underground. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
Universe traveler — spans 2 universes
