Tetsuya Chiba

Tetsuya Chiba
ちばてつや
Chiba in November 2023
Born(1939-01-11)January 11, 1939
Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan
DiedOctober 22, 2026(2026-10-22) (aged 87)
Tokyo, Japan
Known forManga
Notable work
RelativesAkio Chiba (brother)
Awards

Tetsuya Chiba (Japanese: 千葉 徹彌（ちばてつや）, Hepburn: Chiba Tetsuya; January 11, 1939 – October 22, 2026) was a Japanese manga artist. Considered a major figure in the history of manga, many of his early titles are still in print due to continued popularity.

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

Background

Chiba was born on January 11, 1939, in Tokyo, Japan. He lived most of his early childhood in China during World War II. His father was working in a paper factory when they lived in China.

At the end of the 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. Tetsuya has three brothers, Ken, Akio, and Shigeyuki. Akio and Shigeyuki (using the pen name Taro Nami) are also manga artists, though Shigeyuki's work is almost completely unknown outside Japan, despite him writing popular sports manga.

In 1950, while in elementary school, Tetsuya created a manga club with some friends. He created his first official manga, Fukushu no Semushi, (The Hunchback Avenger), in 1956. In 1958, he made his professional debut in Shōjo Book [jp] with Butōkai no Shōjo.

He 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 both the Japanese Cartoonist Association Award and Shogakukan Manga Award in 1977 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. In July 2012 he was appointed the chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Association after Takashi Yanase stepped down due to age and health reasons. In Fall 2012 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by the Japanese government.

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.

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. Naoki Urasawa's TV show Urasawa Naoki no Manben featured Chiba's drawing process on the series in 2020.

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

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

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

Chiba died at a hospital in Tokyo, on October 22, 2026, due to a myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 87. His death was announced five days later.

Selected works

References

  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). NHK. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  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 (in Japanese). Yahoo! News Japan. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Harding, Daryl. "Japan Art Academy Opens Membership to Manga Artists, Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Joins the Ranks". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Chiba Tetsuya". Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  5. ↑ Chiba, Tetsuya (2011). Chiba Tetsuya: sōtokushū: mangaka seikatsu 55shūnen kinengō = Chiba Tetsuya. 東京: 河出書房新社. pp. 196–204. ISBN 978-4-309-97745-4.
  6. ↑ Chiba, Tetsuya (2011). Chiba Tetsuya: sōtokushū: mangaka seikatsu 55shūnen kinengō = Chiba Tetsuya. 東京: 河出書房新社. p. 230. ISBN 978-4-309-97745-4.
  7. ↑ "CHIBA Tetsuya". chibapro.co.jp. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010.
  8. 1 2 Smith, Alyssa I. (October 27, 2026). "Manga artist Tetsuya Chiba, creator of 'Ashita no Joe,' dies at 87". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  9. 1 2 1・2・3と4・5・ロク [1•2•3 to 4•5•Roku]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  10. 1 2 3 "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.
  11. 1 2 おれは鉄兵 [Ore wa Teppei]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  12. 1 2 のたり松太郎 [Notari Matsutarō]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  13. ↑ "Chiba named head of cartoonists group". Yomiuri Shimbun. July 29, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Ashita no Joe's Chiba Inducted Into Order of the Rising Sun". Anime News Network. November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Tetsuya Chiba's Kaze no Yō ni Anime Film Reaches Crowdfunding Goal". Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Critique Vol.1 Journal d'une vie tranquille - Manga". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ "'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.
  18. ↑ Schley, Matt (September 15, 2020). "Naoki Urasawa Manga Documentary Series Manben Returns". Otaku USA Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Successfully Undergoes Heart Surgery". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ "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. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  22. ↑ "ちばてつやさん ご逝去のお知らせ" [Notice on the Passing of Tetsuya Chiba] (Press release) (in Japanese). Kodansha. October 27, 2026. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Dies at 87". Anime News Network. October 27, 2026. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  24. ↑ ちかいの魔球 [Chikai no Makyū]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  25. ↑ 紫電改のタカ [Shidenkai no Taka]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  26. ↑ ハリスの旋風(かぜ) [Harris no Kaze]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  27. ↑ みそっかす [Misokkasu]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  28. ↑ あしたのジョー [Ashita no Joe]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  29. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 26, 2016). "Tetsuya Chiba Starts Crowdfunding Campaign to Make Kaze no Yō ni Anime Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 27, 2026.
  30. ↑ あした天気になあれ [Ashita Tenki ni Naare]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  31. ↑ 男たち. Mangapedia. Digitalio [ja]. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  32. ↑ 少年よ、ラケットを抱け [Shōnen yo Raketto o Idake]. Digital Daijisen Plus (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved October 27, 2026 – via Kotobank.
  33. ↑ "Tetsuya Chiba Puts Hinemosu Notari Nikki Manga on Hiatus Due to Poor Health". Anime News Network. September 27, 2026. Retrieved October 27, 2026.