Born in Tokyo, Onchi graduated from Keio University and joined the Toho studios.

[1] He debuted as a director with Wakai ōkami (1961), and first made a name for himself directing youth films such as Izu no odoriko (1967).

[1] After turning freelance, he also worked in Japanese television, serving for instance as the main director for Kizu darake no tenshi, an influential TV drama from the 1970s.

[3] He died from lung cancer on 20 January 2022, at the age of 88.

This article about a Japanese film director is a stub.