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Tetsuya Chiba

Tetsuya Chiba
Chiba in November 2023
Born
千葉徹弥

(1939-01-11) January 11, 1939 (age 85)
Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Known forManga
Notable workAshita no Joe
Notari Matsutarō
RelativesAkio Chiba (brother)
Awards

Tetsuya Chiba (千葉 徹彌 or ちばてつや, Chiba Tetsuya, born January 11, 1939) is a Japanese manga artist. Considered a major figure in the history of manga,[1][2] many of his early titles are still in print due to continued popularity.

He is most famous for his sports stories, having been described as "the biggest contributor to the rise of sports manga",[3] in particular for works such as Ashita no Joe, his best known work, and Notari Matsutarō.

Life

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He was born in Chuo, Tokyo, Japan, but lived most of his early childhood in Shenyang, Liaoning when northeast China was colonized by Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[4] His father was working in a paper factory when they lived in China.

At the end of the Sino-Japanese War, Chiba's family lived in the attic of a work-acquaintance of his father until they could find a way to get back to Japan.[4] Two of his younger brothers are manga artists: Akio Chiba, and Shigeyuki Chiba who is almost completely unknown outside Japan, despite writing many popular sports manga in Japan. Shigeyuki Chiba works under the pen name Taro Nami. He also had another brother name Ken.

In 1950, while in elementary school, he made a manga club with his friends. He created his first official manga, Fukushu no Semushi, (The Hunchback Avenger), in 1956.[5] In 1958, he made his professional debut in Shōjo Book [jp] with Butōkai no Shōjo. In the 1960s, he wrote shōnen and shōjo manga at the same time. In 1965 he married his wife, Yukiko. He is personally friends with Moto Hagio and Leiji Matsumoto.

He has received several awards for his manga, including the Kodansha Children's Manga Award for 1, 2, 3, & 4, 5, 6, Kodansha Culture Award for Ore wa Teppei, and the Japanese Cartoonist Association Award and Shogakukan Manga Award for Notari Matsutaro. In 2001 he was awarded the Award from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for his work on youth sports manga. In 2002, he was awarded the Purple Ribbon medal by the Japanese government.[6] In July 2012 he was appointed as the chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Association after Takashi Yanase stepped down due to age and health reasons.[7] In Fall 2012 he was awarded with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by the Japanese government.[8]

Chiba's series Harris no Kaze, Ashita no Joe, Akane-chan, Ore wa Teppei, Ashita Tenki ni Naare and Notari Masutaro have all received anime adaptations. Yuki no Taiyou received a short pilot film in 1972, which was Hayao Miyazaki's solo directorial debut, and an animated film for Kaze no Yo ni premiered in June 2016.[9]

In 2015, he left retirement in order to work on the series Hinemosu no Tari Nikki for Big Comic magazine. The manga is an autobiographical manga about his childhood, experiences from the war and his career as a manga artist.[10][11] Naoki Urasawa's TV show Urasawa Naoki no Manben featured Chiba's drawing process on the series in 2020.[12]

He lives in Nerima, Tokyo. In January 2022, he successfully underwent heart surgery at the age of 82 and then continued working on his current series.[13]

In 2022, he became the first manga artist ever to be nominated as a member to the Japan Art Academy (alongside Yoshiharu Tsuge).[14]

In 2024, he was awarded the Order of Culture, becoming the first manga artist to receive this honor.[15]

Selected works

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Listed chronologically.

References

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  1. ^ 日本放送協会. 「漫画家 ちばてつや」 - インタビュー ここから (in Japanese). Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via www.nhk.jp.
  2. ^ "漫画界のレジェンドが半生を描いた『あしあと ちばてつや追想短編集』、漫画史に残る"重大事件"を収録！（加山竜司） - エキスパート". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  3. ^ www.crunchyroll.com https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2022/2/22/japan-art-academy-opens-membership-to-manga-artists-ashita-no-joe-creator-tetsuya-chiba-joins-the-ranks. Retrieved September 26, 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Chiba Tetsuya". Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  5. ^ "CHIBA Tetsuya". chibapro.co.jp. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010.
  6. ^ "Chiba Tetsuya 千葉徹弥". British Museum. Retrieved October 26, 2024. In 2001 he received an award from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture Sport, Science and Technology for the works that captured the spirit and vitality of youth. In 2002, awarded the Purple Ribbon medal by the Japanese government.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Chiba named head of cartoonists group". Yomiuri Shimbun. July 29, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  8. ^ "Ashita no Joe's Chiba Inducted Into Order of the Rising Sun". Anime News Network. November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  9. ^ "Tetsuya Chiba's Kaze no Yō ni Anime Film Reaches Crowdfunding Goal". Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  10. ^ "Critique Vol.1 Journal d'une vie tranquille - Manga". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  11. ^ "'Ashita no Joe' manga creator's new work tells of war stories, career-threatening injury". Mainichi Daily News. July 3, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. ^ Schley, Matt (September 15, 2020). "Naoki Urasawa Manga Documentary Series Manben Returns". Otaku USA Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Successfully Undergoes Heart Surgery". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "ちばてつやさん「漫画が芸術、文化のひとつに」 芸術院新会員に：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). February 22, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "ちばてつや氏ら7人に文化勲章 功労者に青木功氏ら". The Nikkei. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
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