Japanese Manga Artist Takao Yaguchi, Creator of Sampei, Dies at 81
Takao Yaguchi, the acclaimed Japanese manga creator of "Tsurikichi Sanpei," has passed away at the age of 81. He was born in 1939 in Akita Prefecture, and his real name was Takao Takahashi. After facing initial rejections, Yaguchi found success in the late 1960s with Garo magazine. His first work in Weekly Shōnen Sunday, "Otoko Do," was made possible by writer Ikki Kajiwara. Yaguchi’s major success came in 1973 with "Tsurikichi Sanpei," which ran until 1985, captivating fishing enthusiasts and later becoming a beloved anime in Italy. He also penned notable essays in the late 1980s and held the position of honorary director at the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum since 1995. A significant retrospective of his work occurred just over a month prior to his passing.
Key facts
- Takao Yaguchi, creator of the manga 'Tsurikichi Sanpei' (Sampei), has died at age 81.
- He was born in 1939 in Akita Prefecture, Japan, with the real name Takao Takahashi.
- Yaguchi worked in a bank before turning to manga, debuting in Garo magazine in the late 1960s.
- He moved to Tokyo and joined Weekly Shōnen Sunday, where Ikki Kajiwara gave him the pen name Takao Yaguchi.
- 'Tsurikichi Sanpei' was serialized from 1973 to 1985 and became a massive success, spawning an anime series.
- Yaguchi served as honorary director of the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum from 1995 until his death.
- A retrospective of his 50-year career was held at the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum just over a month before his death.
- He was omitted from Taschen's '100 Manga Artists' and largely unrecognized in Italy outside the Sampei anime.
Entities
Artists
- Takao Yaguchi
- Takao Takahashi
- Shigeru Mizuki
- Yoshiharu Tsuge
- Ikki Kajiwara
- Shotaro Ishinomori
- Jūzō Yamasaki
- Ken'ichi Kitami
- Suihō Tagawa
- Shigeo Miyao
- Osamu Tezuka
- Mario A. Rumor
Institutions
- Yokote Masuda Manga Museum
- NHK
- Garo
- Weekly Shōnen Sunday
- Weekly Shōnen Magazine
- Taschen
- Kappa Edizioni
- Artribune
Locations
- Akita Prefecture
- Japan
- Tokyo
- Italy