Legendary Ashita no Joe Manga Artist Tetsuya Chiba Dies at 87

On Tuesday, publishing house Kodansha announced the passing of Tetsuya Chiba, renowned illustrator of the iconic manga Ashita no Joe and the inaugural recipient of the Order of Culture award. The 87-year-old artist succumbed to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a form of cancer that disrupts normal blood cell production within the bone marrow. Chiba's family had already held a private funeral. Kodansha is contemplating organizing an official public memorial service at a later date.

Born in Tokyo in 1939, Chiba spent his formative years in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria under Japanese control, returning to Japan in 1946 following the tumult of World War II. His early fascination with manga led him to pursue a career as a professional artist at the tender age of 17. Chiba's achievements soared in 1962 when he won a Kodansha children's manga award.

Throughout his illustrious career, he gave the world several beloved works, such as Shiden-kai no Taka, a wartime aviation tale, and Harris no Kaze, which later inspired a popular television anime. In 1968, Chiba teamed up with manga writer Asao Takamori (known professionally as Ikki Kajiwara) to craft Ashita no Joe, a boxing manga that chronicles Joe Yabuki's life as he wholeheartedly commits to the sport.

Joe, a cynical and rebellious orphan, finds himself in a juvenile detention center where he encounters Toru Rikiishi, a disciplined boxer who becomes his greatest rival. Both boys are eventually released and thrust into the world of professional boxing, leading to a devastating match that stays with Joe for years to come.

Several of Chiba's series have since been adapted into anime, including Harris no Kaze, Ashita no Joe, Ore wa Teppei, Ashita Tenki ni Nare, and Notari Matsutaro. His 1963 manga Yuki no Taiyou was turned into a short film in 1972, marking the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki.