Nihon SF Grand Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 45 (2024) achievement award
Kazuo Umezu
うめず かずお
Umezu Kazuo
Aliases:
楳図 一雄 / 山路 一雄 / ウメヅ カズヲ
Pen Names:
Yamaji Kazuo（Pen name used in early kashibon (rental book) period）,
Umedzu Kazuwo（Alternate romanization/katakana listing used at times）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1936-09-03 （Takano, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 2024-10-28 （Tokyo, Japan） age 88
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Takano, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture (birthplace) → Gojō, Nara Prefecture (raised) → Kichijoji Minami-cho, Musashino, Tokyo (home/office)
Career
- Occupations
- manga artist, television personality, lyricist, composer
- Active Years
- 1955-2024
- Influenced By
- Osamu Tezuka, Shigeru Hatsuyama, Takei Takeo
- Influenced
- Yukito Ayatsuji, Shoko Nakagawa, Shinya Tsukamoto, Hajime Yamano
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nara Prefectural Gojō High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Nara Prefectural Gojō High School
Year of Graduation:
1955
Country:
Japan
After graduation he failed entrance exam for Nara Gakugei University (now Nara University of Education)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 20th Shogakukan Manga Award | Drifting Classroom and related works | — | Shogakukan | winner |
| 2018 | Angoulême International Comics Festival — Heritage Prize | I Am Shingo (Je suis Shingo — French translation) | 遺産部門 | Angoulême International Comics Festival | winner |
| 2019 | Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner Award | — | — | Agency for Cultural Affairs | honor |
| 2020 | Mikeluzzi Prize — Best Classic Work | I Am Shingo (Italian translation: Io sono Shingo) | — | Mikeluzzi Prize | winner |
| 2023 | Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize — Special Award | — | 特別賞 | Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Committee | winner |
| 2025 | Japan SF Award — Achievement Award | — | 功績賞 | Japan SF Award Committee | winner |
20th Shogakukan Manga Award
1974
Work:
Drifting Classroom and related works
Organization:
Shogakukan
Result:
winner
Angoulême International Comics Festival — Heritage Prize
2018
Work:
I Am Shingo (Je suis Shingo — French translation)
Category:
遺産部門
Organization:
Angoulême International Comics Festival
Result:
winner
Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner Award
2019
Organization:
Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result:
honor
Mikeluzzi Prize — Best Classic Work
2020
Work:
I Am Shingo (Italian translation: Io sono Shingo)
Organization:
Mikeluzzi Prize
Result:
winner
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize — Special Award
2023
Category:
特別賞
Organization:
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Japan SF Award — Achievement Award
2025
Category:
功績賞
Organization:
Japan SF Award Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Drifting Classroom
1972 horror / science fictionA long-form horror/SF story about a school and its students transported to another world; it depicts survival, social breakdown and human relations under extreme conditions.
closed environmentssurvivalhuman nature
Adaptations
- [live-action film] Drifting Classroom / 大林宣彦 (1987)
Translations
- Drifting Classroom — translated into several languages (including French)
Makoto-chan
1976 gag / comedyA comical gag manga featuring an eccentric child character; one of Umezu's representative humorous works and culturally iconic.
gagchildlike absurdity
Adaptations
- [film] Makoto-chan (film) / 芝山努 (1980)
- [animation] Makoto-chan (anime)
I Am Shingo
1982 science fiction / experimentalAn experimental long-form SF work characterized by unique visuals and playful language; it has been re-evaluated internationally.
identityfamilytransformation
Adaptations
- [stage play] I Am Shingo (stage) / 那須博之（監修） (2004)
Translations
- French translation 'Je suis Shingo' and Italian translation 'Io sono Shingo', among others
14 Years Old
1990 horror / coming-of-ageA series about adolescence and horror; completed in 1995 after which the author took an extended hiatus.
adolescencefear
Bibliography
- Drifting Classroom
- Makoto-chan
- I Am Shingo
- 14 Years Old
- Nekome Kozō / Cat-Eyed Boy (shorts/series)
Adaptations
- Numerous film, anime and stage adaptations (Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan, I Am Shingo, Orochi, etc.)
Translations of Works
- I Am Shingo (French, Italian translations, etc.)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- bold, forceful lineworkexaggerated facial expressions to convey terrorblend of humor and horror
- Recurring Motifs
- mother figureschildrenmetamorphosis / bodily abnormalityisolation and closed spaces
Health
-
tenosynovitis1995頃 - 継続的Contributed to a prolonged hiatus from regular manga publication
-
chronic subdural hematoma2013（手術）Underwent surgery in 2013 (disclosed at film press event)
-
stomach cancer2024（末期と診断）Diagnosed terminally in 2024, received hospice care and died in 2024
Legacy
Regarded as a leading figure in Japanese horror manga with a distinctive style and iconic persona (red-and-white stripes, 'Gwashi!'). Major works have been adapted across film, stage and animation, translated abroad and have received international recognition.
Museums
- Kazuo Umezu Grand Art Exhibition (touring) Tokyo City View (Roppongi Hills) / Abeno Harukas Art Museum (touring) Opened in 2022
Archives
- UMEZZ Foundation (manages author's copyrights)
In Popular Culture
- Styles and motifs from Makoto-chan and Drifting Classroom are frequently parodied or referenced in other works
Quotes
-
I'd still like to be a pirate
Source: Interview (compiled remark)
Trivia
- Trademark red-and-white striped shirt
- The 'Gwashi!' pose from Makoto-chan became iconic
- Lifelong bachelor
- His Kichijoji 'Makoto-chan House' exterior's red-and-white stripes led to a legal dispute