Yokoyama Ryuichi

[Aaron Gerow]

In a flash news story, Yokoyama Ryuichi, one of Japan's most famous manga 
artists and a pioneer in animation, died today (the 8th) of a stroke.  He 
was 92.

Yokoyama was most famous for his manga "Fuku-chan," which ran for decades 
in the Mainichi newspaper, but he was also very interested in animation.  
He supervised film versions of Fuku-chan during the war, and in the 
mid-1950s, created his own independent production company, Otogi 
Productions, in his back yard to produce such classics as Hyotan Suzume.  
Yokoyama's success at animation reportedly inspired Tezuka Osamu to start 
his own production company.

Yokohama was the first manga artist to be honored as a Bunka Korosha by 
the government.

On a personal note, I took my son to see Hyotan Suzume last year and he 
enjoyed it quite a lot.  It's magic, it seems, has not faded.

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
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