Shinji Mizushima Heartbreaking Cause of Death Revealed:Japan's Prolific Manga Artist Was 82

By Kate Hill

It was recently announced that the well-known manga artist Shinji Mizushima passed away on January 10, 2022. He was 82.

His death was reported via ANN News, revealing that he died due to pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital. As also said by another article, Mizushima had been under medical treatment for an unspecified illness.

Throughout his entire lifetime, Mizushima was able to release more than 500 tankobon volumes, making him known as one of the most prolific manga artists in the country and a giant in the manga world.

A Look Through Mizushima's Iconic Works

According to Kotaku, Shinji Mizushima was born in 1939 Niigata, Japan. At 18, he debuted as a manga artist in 1958 and only retired in December 2020.

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The longtime manga creator was known for his baseball manga, including "Dokaben," "A Baseball Fan's Poem," and "Abu-san," which became his fame's starting point during the 1970s. As also stated by the source, his manga recounted events of the Japanese baseball world, adding characters inspired by real players and coaches.

"Abu-san," which started publishing in 1973 and ended in 2014, talked about the exploits of fictional baseball player Yasutake Kageura. The project earned its Shogakukan Manga Award four years after its release, making the series sell more than 22 million copies.

A year before "Abu-san" was released to the public, "Dokaben" was also created, which ran from 1972 to 1981. It was published in 205 total tankobon volumes, becoming the most volumes of a series. The plot talks about high school baseball, where the characters live on spin-offs.

And lastly, "A Baseball Fan's Poem," also known as "Yakyu-kyo no Uta," also began the same year as "Dokaben," which tackled a young woman who has plans to be a veterinarian but then became a baseball player.

The said manga took home a Kodansha Literature Culture Award for children's manga. It also got a chance to be adapted as an anime series, animated movie, live-action movie, and even live-action TV series.

In 2014, Mizushima also received the Order of the Rising Sun Gold Rays with Rosette award from the Japanese government for his contributions to entertainment and culture.

His last project was published in August 2018.

May his soul rest in peace.