Japanese manga artist Shirato Sanpei dies of pneumonia at age 89

According to Japanese media reports today on October 26, the well-known Japanese cartoonist Shirato Sanpei died of aspiration pneumonia on October 8 at the age of 89. What is even more regrettable is that on the 12th, just four days after Shirato Sanpei's death, his younger brother Tetsuji Okamoto, who was in charge of the cartoon drawing, also died of interstitial pneumonia.

•Shirato Sanpei, also known as Okamoto Noboru, was born on February 15, 1932. He was one of the most representative cartoonists in Japan in the 1960s. His works mostly depict the life of ninjas. Shirato Sanpei was deeply influenced by his revolutionary ideas since he was a child. After World War II, he began to draw original pictures for comic strips to make a living.

In 1952, he joined the puppet troupe "Taroza" as an art director. Before his debut, he worked as an assistant to the girl cartoonist Maki Suma. In 1957, he published the book "Cold Wind Swordsman" for rental bookstores. In 1959, he became famous for his work "Ninja Bugei Chou Kagemaruden".

The popularity of "Sasuke" soared after the TV animation. In 1964, "Kamuiden" was serialized in the monthly magazine "Manga GARo", which received enthusiastic support from readers. In 1988, the second part of "Kamuiden" was serialized (original work: Shirato Sanpei, illustration: Okamoto Tetsuji).