Graduated in the Kyôto Prefecture. After several years working as animator in Ryûichi Yokoyama's animation Studio Otogi, Yamamoto joined Osamu Tezuka to found Mushi Production in 1961 and since until 1973 worked as producer, supervising director or director of a dozen of animation productions from this company. The first short film of the company was "The Male" (1962) and the next year Yamamoto collaborated as executive director in the first TV series of the company, "Iron Arm Atom" ("Astro Boy"). After supervising the theatrical re-edited versions of the latter and "Jungle Great Emperor" (1966), Yamamoto officially debuted in a full-length feature with "1001 Arabian Nights" in 1969. He also directed the last film of Mushi, "Belladonna" (1973). After that he joined Toei and directed and supervised the first TV series and films of "Space Battleship Yamato". He retired from the animation industry in 1991.