was a Japanese

manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...

, although he rejected the term and considered his work

gekiga , literally "dramatic pictures", is a style of Japanese comics aimed at adult audiences and marked by a more cinematic art style and more mature themes. ''Gekiga'' was the predominant style of adult comics in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. It is ...

. He was best known for ''

Golgo 13 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic'' since October 1968. The series follows the title character, a professional assassin for hire. ''Golgo ...

'', which has been serialized in ''

Big Comic is a semimonthly ''seinen'' manga magazine published since 18 February 1968 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired wit ...

'' since 1968, making it the oldest manga still in publication. ''Golgo 13'' holds the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" and, in accordance with Saito's wishes, it continues to be serialized following his death from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

in September 2021. Saito won several awards in his 66-year career, including the

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan, Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being ...

twice, and received the

Medal with Purple Ribbon are medals awarded by the Government of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work. The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and we ...

and

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

from the Japanese government for his contributions to the arts.

Early life and career

Born in Nishiwasa city (now

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: *Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan *Wakayama (city) Wakayama City Hall is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...

city), Saito's family moved to

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

soon after and opened a barbershop. He did not know he was born in Nishiwasa until he was 43 years old. After his father left the family to become a photographer, his mother raised Saito and his four siblings alone while working as a hairdresser. After graduating from junior high school in 1950, Saito worked at the family barbershop and took it over in 1952. Having always been known as a skilled artist, Saito drew in his spare time and created his first manga ''Baron Air'' in 1955. After having him spend a year rewriting it, rental-manga magazine publisher Hinomaru Bunko released it in 1956. That same year, Saito quit the family business to focus on manga, an act that angered his mother so much, that she never picked up one of his works for the rest of her life. Under the guidance of manga artist Masami Kuroda, he moved to Tokyo in 1958. In 1959, Saito co-founded the in Tokyo with seven other artists, including

Yoshihiro Tatsumi was a Japanese manga artist whose work was first published in his teens, and continued through the rest of his life. He is widely credited with starting the gekiga style of alternative manga in Japan, having allegedly coined the term in 1957. H ...

, in order to spread

. Since April 1960, he has run Saito Production, a company with currently 19 employees. Saito entered the mainstream manga industry in 1963 with '' 007'', an adaptation of

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...

's ''

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

'' novels for

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...

's '' Boy's Life'' magazine. He started ''

'' in Shogakukan's ''

'' magazine in 1968 and serialized it continuously until his death. With the publication of volume 201 in July 2021, it was certified as holding the ''

'' for "Most volumes published for a single manga series." In 2013, Saito said "The manga has continued so long that it is no longer the property of the author; it belongs to the readers." It has been adapted into two live-action films, one animated film, an

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

, an

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

TV series, and several video games. In 1971 Saito also started to give courses in drawing manga. Saito illustrated an adaptation of

Shōtarō Ikenami was a Japanese author. He wrote a number of historical novels. He won the Naoki Award for popular literature in 1960. Many of his historical novels were adapted for TV and cinema. Early life Born on January 25, 1923 in Sintencho, Asakusa-ku, T ...

's ''

Onihei Hankachō is a series of historical novels written by Japanese author Shōtarō Ikenami. Following the character Heizo Hasegawa in the Edo period of Japan, Ikegami wrote the first story for the December 1967 issue of the light novel magazine ' published b ...

'' novel series that has been continuously serialized in Leed Publishing's ''Comic Ran'' magazine since 1993, although a mistake by the editorial department resulted in the September 2019 issue becoming the first in 25 years to not include a chapter. He initially created it based on scripts by Sentarō Kubota (volumes 1–40), then on scripts by Kusumi Ohara from volume 40 until 53, when Ohara was joined by Kaori Moriyama.

JManga JManga was an American website and international online community focused on the promotion, distribution, and monetization of digital comics (specifically manga) as well as the development of other manga related services. Founded in December 20 ...

released digital English versions of several of Saito's series, including ''Onihei Hankachō'', '' Barom-1'', ''

Japan Sinks is a disaster novel by Japanese writer Sakyo Komatsu, published in 1973. Komatsu took nine years to complete the work. It was published in two volumes, both released at the same time. The novel received the 27th Mystery Writers of Japan Award ...

'' and ''Doll: The Hotel Detective''. Saito said he suffered

retinal detachment Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blin ...

at the age of 28 and was diagnosed as

diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased app ...

at 48. He was a close friend of fellow manga artist

Shotaro Ishinomori was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and , creating several immensely popular long-running series such as '' Cyborg 009,'' the ''Super Sentai'' series (later adapted into the ''Power Rangers'' series), ...

. Saito died of

at 84 on September 24, 2021. His death was announced five days later by Shogakukan, along with his wish that ''Golgo 13'' continue on without him. The Saito Production group of manga creators continues its publication with the assistance of the ''Big Comic'' editorial department. Leed Publishing later announced that ''Onihei Hankachō'' will also continue per Saito's wishes.

Leed Publishing

Saito was a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

at , a publishing company spun-off from his Saito Production. It was founded in November 1974 and Saito's older brother was its president and CEO until his death in 2016. Following his brother's death, his brother's eldest son took over. In addition to many other products, Leed jointly publishes the ''Golgo 13'' ''

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

'' volumes with

Awards and accolades

In 1976, Saito won the 21st

in the General category for ''Golgo 13''. In 2002, he and ''Golgo 13'' won the Grand Prize at the

Japan Cartoonists Association Award is an annual award for manga, sponsored by the Japan Cartoonists Association. The prize was first awarded in 1972. Prizes Recipients of the Grand Prize receive a gold plaque, a medal, and a cash prize of ¥500,000. Recipients of the Excellence P ...

s. In 2003, the Japanese government gave Saito the

for his contributions to the arts. In 2005, ''Golgo 13'' was one of two winners of the Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards. In 2009, Saito was among the 158 manga artists invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both Shogakukan's ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, ...

'' magazine and

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

's ''

Weekly Shōnen Magazine is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...

'' at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel. In 2010, the Japanese government gave Saito the

, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette. In 2013, over 300 people attended an event at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel to celebrate 45 years of ''Golgo 13'', including Deputy Prime Minister of Japan

Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician serving as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. Asō previously served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009 and as Deputy Prime Minister of Japan and Minister of Finance from 2 ...

. In 2017, Saito received the Iwate Hometown Special Manga Award at the 7th Iwate Manga Awards for having a residence in

Hanamaki, Iwate is a city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 94,691, and a population density of 100 persons per km², in 37,773 households. The total area of the city is . Hanamaki is famous as the birthplace of Kenji Miyazaw ...

and including a character from the prefecture in ''Golgo 13''. In January 2018, he received the Wakayama Prefecture Cultural Award from his birth prefecture. In 2019, Saito was honored by the

Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly The is the prefectural parliament of Tokyo Metropolis. Its 127 members are elected every four years in 42 districts by single non-transferable vote. 23 electoral districts equal the special wards, another 18 districts are made up by the cities, ...

for his contributions to the arts as a meritorious resident of Tokyo. That year he was also awarded the Special Prize from the

Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan. Current ...

committee for his contributions to manga over the decades. On October 6, 2021, the Japanese government decided to confer the Senior Sixth Rank to Saito posthumously.

Saito Takao Award

The Saito Takao Gekiga Cultural Foundation established the in 2017 for "outstanding works" created using the division of labor system Saito employed of separating the writing and illustrating of manga. First awarded in January 2018, it is given to the scenario writer, illustrating artist, and editor/editorial department of the winning manga. The prize given is called the "Golgo 13 Trophy," and winners in the writer and artist categories also receive 500,000 yen (about US$4,530). Only professional manga editors can submit nominations. Nominated manga must target adult readers and be completely original works, not adaptations. In addition to Takao Saito (until his death),

Ryoichi Ikegami is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He is best known for ''Crying Freeman'' (1986–1988), written by Kazuo Koike, and '' Heat'' (1999–2004), written by Buronson. The latter won the ...

Jūzō Yamasaki is a Japanese manga artist. His best known work is ''Tsuribaka Nisshi'' with art by Kenichi Kitami. Yamasaki originally wrote screenplays for Toei, but was laid off and decided to pursue a career in manga instead. He has won both the Shogakukan ...

and writer Masaru Sato have served on every final selection committee.

Takashi Nagasaki is a Japanese author, manga writer and former editor of manga. He started his professional career at Shogakukan in 1980 and worked as an editor on the publisher's various manga magazines, including as editor-in-chief of ''Big Comic Spirits'' ...

has been on each committee following his winning the first year under the pen name Richard Woo. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the fourth Saito Takao Awards presented a Special Award to

Buronson , known by the pen names and , is a Japanese manga writer. Making his debut in 1972, he first found success with the hardboiled detective manga series ''Doberman Deka'' (1975–1979) alongside illustrator Shinji Hiramatsu. He is best-known for ...

for his 48 years in manga and announced that works nominated for that year would instead be treated as nominees for the following year.

Recipients

Selected works

* * * * '' 007'' (1964–1967) * * * * * * ''

'' (1970) (manga adaptation) * , which was adapted into the unreleased NES video game ''Secret Ties''. * * * * (manga adaptation) * * (manga adaptation) *

References

External links

Saito Pro official website

Leed Publishing official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Takao 1936 births 2021 deaths Deaths from cancer in Japan Deaths from pancreatic cancer Manga artists from Wakayama Prefecture Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon Gekiga creators