Yoshihiro Yonezawa
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese manga
critic and author. He is also known for being Comiket
's co-founder and president. He died of lung cancer at 53. He won the 2007 Seiun Award
in the special category and 2010 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award.
at age 16. He began criticising manga
while he was studying engineering at Meiji University
, as part of the group Meikyu. Yonezawa has said that in the early 1970s, mostly mainstream manga were published, as there were few manga magazines at that time. COM
, a manga magazine with a reputation for publishing experimental manga had closed in 1972, and Yonezawa believed that by 1973 and 1974, it was very difficult to publish "unusual" works in anything other than "underground" zine
s devoted to dōjinshi
. To explore the potential of the medium, he co-founded Comiket
(The Comic Market) in 1975 with Harada Teruo (chairman) and Aniwa Jun, who were university students. Comiket is a bi-annual, 3-day event where dōjinshi manga is brought and traded. Yonezawa's publication of The History of Post War Manga Trilogy in 1980 showed his devotion to reviewing and chronicling manga. He was a judge for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 1999, he received the 21st Japan Society of Publishing Studies Award for Bessatsu Taiyo: Hakkinbon. Since 1999, he regularly reviewed manga on his column, "Yoshihiro Yonezawa's Commentary on Contemporary ", in Media Factory
's Monthly Comic Flapper until October 2006. He was posthumously awarded the 2007 Seiun Award
in the special category, and the special Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2010.
He was hospitalised on September 30, 2006, and on October 1, 2006, Yonezawa died of lung cancer at age 53. On the last day of Comiket 71 which was held from December 29 to 31, 2006, as announced in the event's catalogue, a thirty seconds of silence was held on 15:59 just before the announcement of closing.
opened a library housing dōjinshi
, manga- and anime-related circle newsletters, as well as commercially published manga and manga magazines. The collection, which at present largely consists of Yonezawa's personal collection, donated by his widow, has been named “Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures.” The library is located at the university's Surugadai campus. The core collection comprises Yonezawa's dōjinshi collection, consisting of 4,137 boxes, or over 140,000 items. The library will also incorporate the collection of Tsuguo Iwata. The construction of the new library complex is expected to be complete in 2015.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
critic and author. He is also known for being Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
's co-founder and president. He died of lung cancer at 53. He won the 2007 Seiun Award
Seiun Award
The is a Japanese science fiction award for the best science fiction published in Japan during the preceding year, as voted by attendees of the Japan Science Fiction Convention. "Seiun" is the Japanese word for "nebula", but the award is not related to the American Nebula Award. It was named after...
in the special category and 2010 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award.
Biography
Born in Kumamoto, Japan, on March 21, 1953, Yoshihiro Yonezawa began drawing parodies of his favourite manga characters when he was a child. In 1969, Yonezawa joined the staff of KyukonNihon SF Taikai
The is an annual science fiction convention held in Japan. Each of these conventions is officially the , but they are more popularly known by the official nicknames given to them based on their locations, e.g. TOKON or DAICON .Each year the Nihon SF Taikai attracts between 1,000 and 1,500 science...
at age 16. He began criticising manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
while he was studying engineering at Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
, as part of the group Meikyu. Yonezawa has said that in the early 1970s, mostly mainstream manga were published, as there were few manga magazines at that time. COM
COM (manga magazine)
was a manga magazine started in January 1967 by Osamu Tezuka. It was started in response to the success of Garo , and as a way for Tezuka and other artists to showcase more avant-garde and experimental works in manga...
, a manga magazine with a reputation for publishing experimental manga had closed in 1972, and Yonezawa believed that by 1973 and 1974, it was very difficult to publish "unusual" works in anything other than "underground" zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
s devoted to dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
. To explore the potential of the medium, he co-founded Comiket
Comiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
(The Comic Market) in 1975 with Harada Teruo (chairman) and Aniwa Jun, who were university students. Comiket is a bi-annual, 3-day event where dōjinshi manga is brought and traded. Yonezawa's publication of The History of Post War Manga Trilogy in 1980 showed his devotion to reviewing and chronicling manga. He was a judge for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. In 1999, he received the 21st Japan Society of Publishing Studies Award for Bessatsu Taiyo: Hakkinbon. Since 1999, he regularly reviewed manga on his column, "Yoshihiro Yonezawa's Commentary on Contemporary ", in Media Factory
Media Factory
is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...
's Monthly Comic Flapper until October 2006. He was posthumously awarded the 2007 Seiun Award
Seiun Award
The is a Japanese science fiction award for the best science fiction published in Japan during the preceding year, as voted by attendees of the Japan Science Fiction Convention. "Seiun" is the Japanese word for "nebula", but the award is not related to the American Nebula Award. It was named after...
in the special category, and the special Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2010.
He was hospitalised on September 30, 2006, and on October 1, 2006, Yonezawa died of lung cancer at age 53. On the last day of Comiket 71 which was held from December 29 to 31, 2006, as announced in the event's catalogue, a thirty seconds of silence was held on 15:59 just before the announcement of closing.
Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library
In 2009, Meiji UniversityMeiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
opened a library housing dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
, manga- and anime-related circle newsletters, as well as commercially published manga and manga magazines. The collection, which at present largely consists of Yonezawa's personal collection, donated by his widow, has been named “Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures.” The library is located at the university's Surugadai campus. The core collection comprises Yonezawa's dōjinshi collection, consisting of 4,137 boxes, or over 140,000 items. The library will also incorporate the collection of Tsuguo Iwata. The construction of the new library complex is expected to be complete in 2015.
Works
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (1980) Tokyo: Shinpyōsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (1980) Tokyo : Shinpyōsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (1981) Tokyo: Shinpyōsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro, ed. (1991) Kodomo no Shōwa-shi: Shōjo manga no sekai I, Shōwa 20 nen - 37 nen (子供の昭和史──少女マンガの世界 I 昭和20年〜37年 "A Children's History of Showa-Era Japan: The World of Shōjo Manga I, 1945-1962") Bessatsu Taiyō series. Tokyo: Heibonsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro, ed. (1991) Kodomo no Shōwa-shi: Shōjo manga no sekai II, Shōwa 38 nen - 64 nen (子供の昭和史──少女マンガの世界 II 昭和38年〜64年 "A Children's History of Showa-Era Japan: The World of Shōjo Manga II, 1963-1989") Bessatsu Taiyō series. Tokyo: Heibonsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (1997) Tokyo : Heibonsha ISBN 4582942911
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (1999) アメリカＢ級グッズ道 "The World of Collection B-Class American Memorabilia"
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (2002) 戦後野球マンガ史 "The History of Post War Baseball Manga" Heibonsha
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (2002) 藤子不二雄論―Fと(A)の方程式 "On Fujiko FujioFujiko Fujiowas a nom de plume of a manga writing duo formed by two Japanese manga artists. Their real names are and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987....
~ The Formula of F and (A)" - Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (2003) The Worldwide Phenomenon of Anime: Past and Present Nipponia 27
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (2004) マンガで読む「涙」の構造 "The Formalism of "Tears" As Depicted In Manga" NHK
- Yonezawa, Yoshihiro (2007) Tokyo : Kawade Shobō Shinsha ISBN 9784309269597
External links
- Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library official website (Japanese)
- Comiket's biography of Yoshihiro Yonezawa (Japanese)
- Interview with Yoshihiro Yonezawa, circa 2005 (Japanese)