Tokyo, Oct. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese manga artist Tetsuya Chiba, best known for the “Ashita no Joe” series and the first manga artist to receive the Order of Culture, died of myelodysplastic syndrome at a Tokyo hospital Thursday. He was 87. Born in Tokyo in 1939, Chiba was taken by his family to the Korean Peninsula as an infant and then to Japanese-controlled Manchuria in present-day northeastern China when he was 2. He experienced the end of World War II there and endured the ensuing chaos of violence and looting before returning to Japan in 1946. He developed an interest in manga around that time and joined a manga magazine group before making his debut as a professional manga artist at age 17. Chiba won a children’s manga award sponsored by publisher Kodansha Ltd. in 1962. He went on to release hits including “Shiden-kai no Taka,” about the struggles of a wartime pilot, as well as the sports manga “Harris no Kaze,” which turned into a hit television anime. In 1968, Chiba teamed up with comic artist Asao Takamori, also known as Ikki Kajiwara, to create “Ashita no Joe,” a series about a protagonist named Joe Yabuki who devotes his life to boxing. The series became a big success and was adapted into a television anime series and live-action films. It also helped dramatically boost the circulation of Weekly Shonen Magazine, where it was serialized. When Yabuki’s rival, Toru Rikiishi, died in the story, an actual memorial ceremony was held at Kodansha, with many fans attending to pay their respects. Chiba’s other popular works include “Notari Matsutaro,” about the professional sumo world, “Ashita Tenki ni Naare,” a golf manga series, and “Ore wa Teppei,” themed on Japanese martial art “kendo.” He served as head of the Japan Cartoonists Association and worked to foster the next generation of manga artists as leader of Bunsei University of Art in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. He penned an autobiographical essay manga series in his late years. Chiba received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2002 and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in 2012. He received the Order of Culture in 2024. He was an older brother of the late manga artist Akio Chiba, known mainly for the “Captain” baseball manga series. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
