We’re witnessing manga history in the making, as Tetsuya Chiba, co-creator of Ashita no Joe, is about to become the first mangaka to receive a national award in Japan.
Anyone familiar with the history of sports anime will likely recognize Ashita no Joe, by now a long-running franchises with several anime shows and anime movies. The story stretches back to 1968, when the first chapter was published by Tetsuya Chiba and Asao Takamori.
The book has endured since then, to the point that Tetsuya will now be honored with Japan’s Order of Culture award. He’s the first recipient to be a manga artist in the award’s history.
No small feat, and something that will hopefully turn more heads towards Tetsuya’s work and manga in general. Although Ashita no Joe is his biggest work, he was already established by the time that kicked offf.
In fact, his work Harris no Kaze, about a rebellious young boy who finds solace through sports, was the first manga to be reprinted into volumes, changing the landscape of the industry. Akane-chan, Ore wa Teppei – he’s responsible for some seminal creations over the years, each leaving a mark in their own way.
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It’s fitting, then, that he should be honored this way. It’s just unfortunate that Asao passed away in 1987, preventing him from joining Tetsuya in the honor or seeing just how strong the legacy of his creativity would be.
Japan isn’t the only one broadening its horizons in terms of manga, the Harvey Awards introduced a Best Manga category in 2018. My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi and Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto are notable winners there.
Meanwhile, Osamu Tezuka and Rumiko Takahashi were the first two manga artists added to the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame, both posthumously. Tetsuya might just be next on their list now.
If you’d like to check out some modern day legends in the making, check out our guides to Solo Leveling Season 2, Sakamoto Days, and Lazarus.