Benefits of Mindfulness – Stress Management & 30 Quotes on Mindfulness

Japanese manga artist Shigeru Mizuki (水木しげる) passed away of heart failure on November 30 in Tokyo. He was 93 years old…

Before an entire generation was spirited away by Hayao Miyazaki, a much-beloved manga artist named Shigeru Mizuki had long captured the hearts and imagination of the Japanese public with his monsters and demons. The energetic Mizuki became a household name through his long-running and popular GeGeGe no Kitaro, a satirical manga centred around Japan’s rich folklores and stories of things that go bump in the night. Kitaro’s adventures made yokai (monsters) come to life and were animated compendiums of creatures from the nether world, and above all, it popularised the horror genre.

But there was also a different side to Mizuki’s story-telling prowess. As a former soldier who fought in World War II, he was only all too intimate with the atrocities of war. He immortalised his personal accounts in two monumental semi-autobiographical works – Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (Souin Gyokusai Seyo!) (1973) and Showa: A History of Japan (1988-89). Both were critically acclaimed for their brutally honest depiction of Japan’s martial campaigns during the Showa period.

Onward was awarded a prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2009 while the translated versions of Onward and Showa went on to win the prestigious Eisner Award in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

His other notable manga include Akuma-kun, NonNonBa and a biography of Hitler. Many of his works have been turned into successful anime and television projects.

Shigeru Mizuki was born in 1922 as Shigeru Mura and grew up in Sakaiminato. He enjoyed art even at a young age and learned to draw while working as a newspaper delivery boy. In 1943, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army and was sent to New Guinea (now Papua New Guinea) where an air bombing resulted in the loss of his left arm. His experience on the island led to a lifelong personal connection with the local Tolai tribe.

Mizaki was a student at the Musahino Art School in 1948 but dropped out shortly to take on odd jobs. His career as an artist started off in picture story shows and he debuted as a manga artist with Rocketman (1957). His sweeping artwork and sharp observations gained him many fans and his joie de vivre, as evident in his Twitter posts, only endeared him more to his adoring public. At one point, he was even touted the oldest manga artist alive.

In 1991, the esteemed Mizuki was awarded the Purple Ribbon by the Japanese government for his artistic accomplishments, and in 2010, was named Person of Cultural Merit for his outstanding cultural contributions. Mizuki is survived by his wife, author Nunoe Mura, and their two daughters.