Jun 02 (Japan Times) - Manga artist George Akiyama, known as the author of the "Haguregumo" manga series, died on May 12, major publisher Shogakukan Inc. announced Monday. He was 77.
The manga creator, whose real name was Yuji Akiyama, was born in Tokyo and grew up in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture.
He made his debut as a manga artist with the gag manga "Gaikotsu Kun" in 1966. In 1968, his series "Patman X" received an award for manga for children from publisher Kodansha Ltd.
He started writing the "Asura" and "Zeni Geba" series in 1970, both focused on human morals in extremis. The controversial works were ruled harmful in some areas in Japan, due to their violent and shocking depictions.
In 1973, Akiyama started working on the "Haguregumo" series, depicting human events in the later years of the Tokugawa shogunate period.
