Junji Itō
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

is a
Japanese horror Japanese horror is horror fiction derived from popular culture in Japan, generally noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre differing from the traditional Western representation of horror. Japanese horror tends ...
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 ...
. Some of his most notable works include ''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
'', a series chronicling an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness; ''
Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...
'', a three-volume series about a town obsessed with spirals; and ''
Gyo , fully titled in Japan, is a horror ''seinen'' manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito, appearing as a serial in the weekly manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 2001 to 2002. Shogakukan collected the chapters into two bound volume ...
'', a two-volume story in which fish are controlled by a strain of sentient bacteria called "the death stench." His other works include ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection'', a collection of his many short stories, and '' Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu'', a self-parody about him and his wife living in a house with two cats. Ito's work has developed a substantial
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, with some deeming him a significant figure in recent horror iconography.


Life and career

Junji Ito was born on July 31, 1963 in
Sakashita was a town located in Ena District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 5,753 and a density of 193.25 persons per km². The total area was 29.77 km². On February 13, 2005, Sakashita, along with the town ...
, now a part of
Nakatsugawa, Gifu Magome-juku on the Nakasendō is a city located in Gifu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,930, and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 30,788 households The total area of the city was . Geography Nakatsugawa is in ...
. He began his experience in the horror world at a very young age, with his first manga being ''Mummy Teacher'' by
Kazuo Umezu is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. He is among the most famous authors of horror manga and has been vital for its development since the 1960s. Life Umezu was born in Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, but raised in the mountainous Go ...
; his two older sisters read
Umezu Umezu is a Japanese word. It may refer to a surname, spelled 梅 津 or 楳図, or it may have other meanings. People *Hideyuki Umezu (born 1955), Japanese voice actor *Kazuo Umezu (born 1936), author of Japanese horror manga *Kazutoki Umezu (born ...
and Shinichi Koga in magazines, and consequently, he began reading them too. He grew up in the countryside, in a small city next to Nagano. In the house where he lived, the bathroom was at the end of an underground tunnel, where there were spider crickets; such experiences were later reflected in his works. Ito began to draw manga at the age of 4, taking inspiration from the works he read in magazines. He continued to draw as a hobby until he became a dental technician in 1984, where he struggled to find a balance between the two. In 1987, he submitted a short story to ''
Monthly Halloween was a Japanese manga magazine published by Asahi Sonorama from 1985 to 1995. The magazine focused on horror ''shōjo'' manga (girls' comics), and was the first magazine of its kind in this category. In the 1990s, the magazine launched two sist ...
'' that won an honorable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize (with Umezu himself as one of the judges). This story ran for 13 years and was later serialized as ''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
''. Urasawa Naoki no Manben: Itō Junji (S4E2, 2017),
NHK Educational TV , abbreviated on-screen as NHK E, is the second television service of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). It is a sister service of NHK General TV, showing programs of a more educational, documentaries, cultural, children's or intellectual n ...
Ito drew the cover of Mucc's 2002 album ''
Hōmura Uta is the second studio album by the Japanese rock band Mucc, released on September 6, 2002. It is the first album to be released by their sublabel Shu, under Danger Crue. Its cover was illustrated by manga artist Junji Ito. The first pressing of th ...
''. He collaborated with the band again in 2020, for the cover of their made-to-order single "Shōfu 2020". Ito teamed up with
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'' ...
and former diplomat Masaru Sato to create ''Yūkoku no Rasputin'' (2010–2012), based on Sato's personal experiences in Russia, for ''
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 ...
''. Film director
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...
cited on his official Twitter account that Ito was originally a collaborator for the video game ''
Silent Hills is a cancelled horror game developed by Kojima Productions that was to be published by Konami for the PlayStation 4. It was in development since 2012 until its cancellation in 2015. It was to be the ninth main installment in the ''Silent Hill'' ...
'', of which both Del Toro and game designer
Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hired ...
were the main directors. However, a year after its announcement, the project was canceled by
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
, the IP's owner. Ito and Del Toro would later lend their likenesses to Kojima's next project, ''
Death Stranding ''Death Stranding'' is a 2019 action game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It is the first game from director Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions after their split from Kona ...
''.


Awards

Ito's work ''
Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...
'' was nominated for an
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
in 2003 and 2009. In 2019, Ito received his first
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
for his manga adaptation of Mary Shelley's ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
'' for "Best Adaptation from Another Medium." In 2021, Ito received two more
Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
for his works ''
Remina is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It was serialized in '' Big Comic Spirits'' from September 2004 to July 2005, and published in one volume. Synopsis Following the discovery of a mysterious rogue planet which ...
'' and ''Venus in the Blind Spot'', receiving ''"''Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia" and "Best Writer/Artist."


Personal life

In 2006, Ito married Ayako Ishiguro (石黒亜矢子), a picture book artist. As of 2013, they have two children.


Inspiration and themes


Other artists

In addition to
Kazuo Umezu is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. He is among the most famous authors of horror manga and has been vital for its development since the 1960s. Life Umezu was born in Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, but raised in the mountainous Go ...
, Ito has cited
Hideshi Hino Hideshi Hino (日野日出志 ''Hino Hideshi'', born April 19, 1946) is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in horror stories. His comics include ''Hell Baby'', ''Hino Horrors'', and '' Panorama of Hell''. He also wrote and directed two entrie ...
, Shinichi Koga,
Yasutaka Tsutsui is a Japanese novelist, science fiction author, and actor. His ''Yumenokizaka bunkiten'' won the Tanizaki Prize in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989 Kawabata Yasunari award, and the 1992 Nihon SF Taisho Award. Writing ...
,
Edogawa Ranpo , better known by the pen name was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the le ...
and H. P. Lovecraft as being major influences on his work. Ito has stated that Umezu has inspired his storytelling, and Hino has inspired his ability in creating a mood for a work. He has also stated that he admires Guillermo del Toro's work. A connection between Lovecraft's work and the spirals of ''
Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...
'' has been placed before, as well as a common theme of
cosmic horror Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...
. Ito has also cited
H. R. Giger Hans Ruedi Giger ( ; ; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as " biomechanical". Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, mark ...
,
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
, and others as influences on his work as well.


Childhood

Ito has been inspired by horror since childhood, with his first manga being written about a protagonist with an eye in the middle of his hand, attacking him; this was heavily influenced by ''Kappa no Sanpei''. Ito was inspired by the occult horror films of the 1970’s (such as
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
and
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
), as well as period dramas of ghosts. He has also found inspiration from
Rakugo is a form of ''yose'', which is itself a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on a raised platform, a . Using only a and a as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long ...
storytellers who tell Kaiden ghost stories, incorporating it into ''
No Longer Human is a 1948 Japanese novel by Osamu Dazai. It is considered Dazai's masterpiece and ranks as the second-best selling novel ever in Japan, behind Natsume Sōseki's ''Kokoro''. The literal translation of the title, discussed by Donald Keene in his ...
''. ''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
'' was inspired by the death of one of his classmates. Ito felt strange that a boy he knew suddenly disappeared from the world, and he kept expecting the boy to show up again; from this came the idea of a girl who is supposed to have died but then just shows up as if nothing had happened. ''
Gyo , fully titled in Japan, is a horror ''seinen'' manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito, appearing as a serial in the weekly manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 2001 to 2002. Shogakukan collected the chapters into two bound volume ...
'' was influenced by his childhood anti-war feelings, due to his parents' tragic and frightening war stories, and the shark attack scenes from ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
''. ''The Hanging Balloons'' was based on a childhood dream. '' Long Dream'' was inspired by his sister mentioning research of dreams being instantaneous, and ''Slug Girl'' was inspired by Ito moving his tongue around in the mirror and finding that it resembled a slug.


Academics

Ito studied and graduated from a vocational school with a degree in Dental Technology before working as a dental technician, where he worked for 3 years until he became a full-time
mangaka 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 bef ...
.Ember, Diana-Nathalie, and Georgiana Lavinia Tar. “Junji Ito's Contemporary Visual Adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A Comparative Study.” Lingua. Language and Culture, no. 2, 2021, pp. 247–259. Ito found anatomical interest in the books for the medical students, which he used to study muscles. He is also cited stating the schooling gave him more inspiration for his tools in drawing, namely pens and how to whittle pencils like dentures.


Themes

Ito's work consists of many subgenres of horror, mainly being host to the subgenres of
body horror Body horror or biological horror is a subgenre of horror that intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutations, mutilation, zombification, ...
and
cosmic horror Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...
. Much of his work is based solely in them, with other themes including a relationship of predator to prey, a loss of humanity, and obsession being common.Thacker, Eugene. “Black Illumination: the Unhuman World of Junji Ito.” The Japan Times, 30 Jan. 2016. The universe Ito depicts is cruel and capricious; his characters often find themselves victims of malevolent unnatural circumstances for no discernible reason or punished out of proportion for minor infractions against an unknown and incomprehensible natural order. He takes inspiration from his own fears as well, including death, war, insects, and being watched. Ito has been cited saying that he draws the manifestation of the mind becoming reality, represented in body horror.


Works


Manga

* ''Volume 1 and 2: '' (does not include ''Tomie: Again'', English: 2001, and , respectively) * ''Volume 3:
Flesh-Colored Horror is a single-volume horror comics, horror manga written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It is listed as the third volume in the ''Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection'' and was published in English by ComicsOne. The table of contents lists all the ...
'' (肉色の怪) (collection of six one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Long Hair in the Attic, Approval, Beehive, Dying Young, Headless Sculptures,'' and ''Flesh-Colored Horror'' * ''Volume 4: The Face Burglar'' (顔泥棒) (collection of five one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Face Burglar, Scarecrow, Falling, Red String, Honored Ancestors,'' and ''The Hanging Balloons'' * ''Volume 5: Souichi's Diary of Delights'' (双一の楽しい日記) (collection of six one-shots) ** A collection of one-shots featuring Junji Ito's character, Souichi ** Collects: ''Fun Summer Vacation, Fun Winter Vacation, Souichi's Diary of Delights, Souichi's Home Tutor, Mannequin Teacher,'' and ''Souichi's Birthday'' * ''Volume 6: Souichi's Diary of Curses'' (双一の呪い日記) (collection of five one-shots) ** Sequel collection continuing the Souichi storyline after ''Souchi's Diary of Delights'' ** Collects: ''Souichi's Selfish Curse, The Room With Four Walls, Coffin, Rumors,'' and ''Fashion Model'' * ''Volume 7: Slug Girl'' (なめくじの少女) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''Slug Girl,'' ''The Thing That Drifted Ashore, Mold, Shiver, The Inn, Groaning Drain Pipes,'' and ''Bio House'' * ''Volume 8: Blood-Bubble Bushes'' (血玉樹) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''Blood-Bubble Bushes, Unendurable Labyrinth, The Reanimator's Sword, The Will, The Bridge, The Devil's Logic,'' and ''The Conversation Room'' * ''Volume 9: Hallucinations'' (首幻想) (collection of six one-shots) ** ''Hallucinations stories take place in different dimensions, but share the theme of the titular character/s Oshikiri and the interdimensional portal that exists in his/their house ** Collects: ''Hallucinations, Bog of the Living Dead, Pen Pal, Intruder, Further Tales of Oshikiri,'' and ''Further Tales of Oshikiri: Walls'' * ''Volume 10: Marionette Mansion'' (あやつりの屋敷) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''Ice Cream Bus, Gang House, The Smoking Club, Used Record, Where the Sandman Lives, The Gift Bearer,'' and ''Marionette Mansion'' * ''Volume 11: The Town Without Streets'' (道のない街) (collection of five one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Town Without Streets, Near Miss!, Maptown, Village of the Siren,'' and ''The Supernatural Transfer Student'' * ''Volume 12: The Bully'' (いじめっ娘) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Bully, Deserter, A Father's Love, Memory, The Back Alley, Scripted Love,'' and ''In The Soil'' * ''Volume 13: The Circus is Here'' (サーカスが来た) (collection of five one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Circus is Here, Gravetown, The Adjacent Window,'' and both ''The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings'' stories * ''Volume 14: The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel'' (トンネルの奇譚) (collection of five one-shots) ** Collects: ''Long Dream, The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel, Bronze Statue, Drifting Spores,'' and ''Blood Sickness of the White Sands Village'' * ''Volume 15: Lovesick Dead'' (死びとの恋わずらい) (five chapters over one volume) ** Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but… * ''Volume 16: Frankenstein'' (フランケンシュタイン) **Junji Ito's manga adaptation of the
Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
novel, ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' **Includes two bonus stories: ''A Doll's Hellish Burial,'' and ''Memories of Real Poop'' * Volume 1 and 2: (Volume 2 includes ''Tomie: Again'', Asahi Sonorama, 2002, and , Dark Horse, 2006, and , respectively) * ''Volume 3: The Long Hair in the Attic'' (屋根裏の長い髪) (collection of 12 one-shots) ** Collects: ''Bio House, The Face Burglar, Where the Sandman Lives, The Devil's Logic, The Long Hair in the Attic, Scripted Love, The Reanimator's Sword, A Father's Love, Unendurable Labyrinth, Village of the Siren, The Bully,'' and ''Deserter'' * ''Volume 4: Scarecrow'' (案山子) (collections of 12 one-shots) ** Collects: ''Red String, Used Record, The Gift Bearer, The Bridge, The Circus is Here, Beehive, Maptown, Headless Sculptures, Dying Young, Shiver, Scarecrow,'' and ''The Will'' * ''Volume 5: The Back Alley'' (路地裏) (collection of 11 one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Back Alley, Fashion Model, Falling, The Conversation Room, The Inn, Approval, The Smoking Club, Mold, The Town Without Streets, Memory,'' and ''Ice Cream Bus'' * ''Volume 6: Soichi's Selfish Curse'' (双一の勝手な呪い) (collection of ten one-shots) ** Reprints ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volumes 5 and 6'' (''Souichi's Diary of Delights'' and ''Souichi's Diary of Curses,'' respectively), ''excluding Fashion Model'' * ''Volume 7: Groaning Drain Pipes'' (うめく配水管) (collection of eight one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Supernatural Transfer Student, Groaning Drain Pipes, Blood-Bubble Bushes, The Hanging Balloons, Marionette Mansion, Flesh-Colored Horror, Near Miss!,'' and ''In the Soil'' * ''Volume 8: Blood Sickness of the White Sands Village'' (白砂村血譚) (collection of 11 one-shots) ** Reprints ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volumes 14: The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel'' ** Includes six bonus stories: ''Gravetown, Gang House, Slug Girl, The Adjacent Window, The Thing That Drifted Ashore,'' and ''Honored Ancestors'' * ''Volume 9: Oshikiri Idan & Frankenstein'' (押切異談&フランケンシュタイン) ** Reprints ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volumes 9 and 16'' (Junji Ito's ''Frankenstein'' and ''Hallucinations,'' respectively) ** Includes three bonus stories: ''A Doll's Hellish Burial, Fixed Face,'' and ''Junji Ito's Dog Diary'' * ''Volume 10: Lovesick Dead'' (死びとの恋わずらい) (five chapters over one volume) ** Reprinting of ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volume 15: Lovesick Dead'' ** Includes bonus stories: Both ''The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings stories, Phantom Mansion, Ribs Woman,'' and ''Memories of Real Poop'' * (Shogakukan: 2010, ) * ''The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions'' (異形 世界) ** A first-ever collection of Junji Ito’s artworks, featuring over 130 images from his bestselling manga titles along with rare works. This sublime collection includes all of Ito’s unforgettable illustrations in both black-and-white and color, from Tomie’s dreadful beauty to the inhuman spirals of ''Uzumaki''. Includes an interview focused on Ito’s art technique as well as commentary from the artist on each work. * ''Black Paradox'' (ブラックパラドクス) (six chapters over one volume) ** Four people intent on killing themselves meet through the suicide website Black Paradox: Maruso, a nurse who despairs about the future; Taburo, a man who is tortured by his doppelganger; Pii-tan, an engineer with his own robot clone; and Baracchi, a girl who agonizes about the birthmark on her face. ** Includes two bonus stories: ''The Licking Woman'' and ''Mystery Pavilion'' * ''A Diary of Embellished Patches'' (潤色まだら日記) (collection of three one-shots) ** Collects: ''Pond, Conversation,'' and ''DIY Instructions'' * '' Dissolving Classroom'' (溶解教室) (five chapters over one volume) ** A pair of twisted siblings—Yuuma, a young man obsessed with the devil, and Chizumi, the worst little sister in recorded history—cause all sorts of tragic and terrifying things to happen wherever they go. These scary short stories will shock the reader with a literal interpretation of the ills that plague modern society. ** Includes two bonus stories: ''The Return'' and ''Children of the Earth'' * ''Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection'' (脱走兵のいる家) (collection of 12 one-shots) ** Reprint of ''Museum of Terror Volume 3: The Long Hair in the Attic'' * '' Fragments of Horror'' (aka ''The Shard of Evil'') (魔の断片) (collection of eight one-shots) ** Collects: ''Futon, Haunted Wood Mansion, Tomio: Red Turtleneck, Lingering Farewell, Dissection Girl, Black Bird, Nanakuse Magami'' and ''Whispering Woman'' * ''Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection'' (フランケンシュタイン) ** Reprints ''Museum of Terror Volume 9: Oshikiri Idan & Frankenstein'' * '' Gyo: Ugomeku Bukimi'' (aka ''Fish: Ghastly Squirming'') (ギョ うごめく不気味) (19 chapters over two volumes) ** The floating smell of death hangs over the island. What is it? A strange, legged fish appears on the scene... So begins Tadashi and Kaori's spiral into the horror and stench of the sea. ** Includes two bonus stories: ''The Sad Tale of the Principal Post'' and ''The Enigma of Amigara Fault'' * '' Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu'' (伊藤潤二の猫日記 よん&むー) (ten chapters over one volume) ** Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know, his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow—Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends. * ''The Liminal Zone'' (幻怪地帯) (collection of four one-shots) ** Collects: ''Weeping Woman Way, Madonna, The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara,'' and ''Slumber'' * '' Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection'' (死びとの恋わずらい) ** Reprint of ''Museum of Terror Volume 10: Lovesick Dead'' * ''Mimi's Ghost Stories'' (ミミの怪談) (collection of six one-shots, adapted from Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichiro Nakayama's ''Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro'' (怪談新耳袋)) ** Collects: ''The Woman Next Door, Sound of Grass, Graveman, The Seashore, Alone With You'' (aka ''Just the Two of Us),'' and ''The Scarlet Circle'' * ''
No Longer Human is a 1948 Japanese novel by Osamu Dazai. It is considered Dazai's masterpiece and ranks as the second-best selling novel ever in Japan, behind Natsume Sōseki's ''Kokoro''. The literal translation of the title, discussed by Donald Keene in his ...
'' (人間失格) (24 chapters over one volume) ** Ito's manga adaptation of the
Osamu Dazai was a Japanese author. A number of his most popular works, such as '' The Setting Sun'' (''Shayō'') and ''No Longer Human'' (''Ningen Shikkaku''), are considered modern-day classics. His influences include Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Murasaki Shiki ...
novel of the same name * ''
Remina is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. It was serialized in '' Big Comic Spirits'' from September 2004 to July 2005, and published in one volume. Synopsis Following the discovery of a mysterious rogue planet which ...
'' (aka ''Hellstar Remina'') (地獄星レミナ) (six chapters over one volume) ** This is a horror/sci-fi story about a giant planet-consuming creature from another dimension that a scientist discovers and mistakenly identifies as a planet. Being given the honor to name it as its discoverer, the professor chooses to name it after his only daughter, Remina, but when Hellstar Remina is headed on a direct collision course with Earth the world goes insane and all the people in the city start a witch hunt to kill Remina, thinking she is somehow to blame. ** Includes bonus story: ''Billions Alone'' (aka ''Army of One)'' * ''Sensor'' (aka ''Travelogue of the Succubus'') (センサー) (seven chapters over one volume) ** A woman walks alone at the foot of Mount Sengoku. A man appears, saying he has been waiting for her, and invites her to a nearby village. Surprisingly, the village is covered in hair-like volcanic glass fibers, and all of it shines a bright gold. At night, when the villagers perform their custom of gazing up at the starry sky, countless unidentified flying objects come raining down on them—the opening act for the terror is about to occur. * ''Shiver: Junji Ito Selected Stories'' (伊藤潤二自選傑作集) (collection of ten one-shots) ** Collects: ''Used Record, Shiver, Fashion Model, The Hanging Balloons, Marionette Mansion, Painter, Long Dream, Honored Ancestors, Glyceride'' (aka ''Greased),'' and ''Fashion Model: Cursed Frame'' * ''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
'' (富江) (20 chapters over one volume) ** Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive them to murder as well, even though the victim is often Tomie herself. While one lover seeks to keep her for himself, another grows terrified of the immortal succubus. But soon they realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie. ** Does not include ''Tomie: Takeover'' or (the Souichi/Tomie crossover one-shot) ''Souichi Possessed'' * ''Venus in the Blind Spot'' (盲点のビーナス) (collection of ten one-shots) ** Collects: ''Billions Alone'' (aka ''Army of One), The Human Chair'' and ''An Unearthly Love'' (adapted from the
Edogawa Ranpo , better known by the pen name was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the le ...
stories of the same name), ''Venus in the Blind Spot, The Licking Woman, Umezz Kazuo and Me, How Love Came to Professor Kirida'' (adapted from Robert Hichen's ''How Love Came to Professor Guildea''), ''The Enigma of Amigara Fault, The Sad Tale of the Principal Post,'' and ''Keepsake'' * ''Voices in the Dark'' (闇の声) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''Blood-Slurping Darkness, The Ghost of Golden Time, Roar of Ages, Secret of the Haunted Mansion, Glyceride'' (aka ''Greased), The Earthbound,'' and ''Dead Man Calling'' * ''New Voices in the Dark'' ( 新・闇の声 潰談) (collection of seven one-shots) ** Collects: ''The Soichi Front, Soichi's Beloved Pet, In the Valley of Mirrors, Anything but a Ghost, Library of Illusions, Songs in the Dark,'' and ''Splatter Film'' * ''Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection'' (collection of 13 one shots) ** Reprints ''Voices in the Dark'' and ''New Voices in the Dark,'' with the exception of ''Glyceride'' (aka ''Greased)'' * ''
Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...
'' (aka ''Spiral'') (うずまき) (19 chapters over one volume) ** Kurozu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: ''uzumaki'', the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in small ways: seashells, ferns, whirlpools in water, whirlwinds in air. And in large ways: the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father, the voice from the cochlea in your inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurozu-cho are pulled ever deeper, as if into a whirlpool from which there is no return... ** Includes bonus story: ''Galaxies'' * Specials and uncollected one-shots ** ''Demon's Voice'' ** ''Ghost Heights Management Association'' ** ''Junji Ito's Snow White'' (adapted from ''
Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
)'' ** ''Layers of Fear'' ** ''Mountain of Gods: Precipice of the Unknown'' ** ''Mr. Inagawa's Ghost Story Treasure Box'' ** ''Mystery Pavilion'' ** ''Return of the Hanging Balloons'' ** ''She is a Slow Walker'' (written for ''8 Tales of the ZQN,'' the ''
I Am a Hero is a Japanese zombie manga series written and illustrated by Kengo Hanazawa. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from April 2009 to February 2017, with its chapters compiled in twenty-two ''tank ...
'' spin-off anthology) ** ''Soichi Possessed'' ** ''The Summer Time Graduation Trip'' ** ''Tomie: Takeover''


Adaptations

''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
'' was adapted into a series of films, beginning in 1999. Several other works of Ito's have subsequently been adapted for film, television and videogaming: * ''Tomie'' ** ''
Tomie is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. ''Tomie'' was Ito's first published work he originally submitted to ''Monthly Halloween'', a ''shōjo'' magazine in 1987, which led to him winning the Kazuo Umezu aw ...
'' (富江), 1998 ** '' Tomie: Another Face'' (aka ''Tomie: Fearsome Beauty'') (富江:アナザフェイス), 1999 ** '' Tomie: Replay'' (富江:re-play), 2000 ** '' Tomie: Re-birth'' (富江:re-birth), 2001 ** '' Tomie: The Final Chapter – Forbidden Fruit'' (富江 最終章 ?禁断の果実), 2002 ** '' Tomie: Beginning'' (富江 BEGINNING), 2005 ** '' Tomie: Revenge'' (富江 REVENGE), 2005 ** ''
Tomie vs Tomie is a 2007 Japanese horror film directed by Tomohiro Kubo. It is the seventh installment of the ''Tomie'' film series, based on the manga series of the same name by Junji Ito, specifically ''The Gathering'' chapter from the third volume. Plot ...
'' (富江 vs 富江), 2007 ** ''
Tomie Unlimited is a 2011 Japanese psychological-body horror film directed by Noboru Iguchi and the eighth installment and reboot of the ''Tomie'' film series. Plot Tsukiko Izumikawa (Moe Arai) is a member of the photography club in high school. On her way hom ...
'' (富江 アンリミテッド), 2011 * ''The Fearsome Melody'' (戦慄の旋律), 1991 – (adapted from ''Used Record'') * ''
Uzumaki is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito. Appearing as a serial in the weekly ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits'' from 1998 to 1999, the chapters were compiled into three bound volumes by Shoga ...
'' (うずまき), 2000 – (adapted from the story of the same name) * ''Uzumaki - Television Mystery'' (うずまき 〜電視怪奇篇〜), 2000 – (adapted from the story of the same name) * ''Uzumaki - Curse Simulation'' (うずまき 〜呪いシミュレーション〜), 2000 – (adapted from the story of the same name) * ''Gravetown'' (墓標の町), 2000 – (adapted from the short story of the same name) ** With no DVD/VHS release, this work is considered a
lost television broadcast Lost television broadcasts are mostly those early television programs which cannot be accounted for in studio archives (or in personal archives) usually because of deliberate destruction or neglect. Common reasons for loss A significant prop ...
* ''The Face Burglar'' (顔泥棒), 2000 – (adapted from the short story of the same name) * ''The Hanging Balloons'' (首吊り気球), 2000 – (adapted from ''The Devil's Logic, The Long Hair in the Attic,'' and ''The Hanging Balloons'') * ''Long Dream'' (長い夢), 2000 – (adapted from the short story of the same name) * ''Partition'' (aka ''Oshikiri)'' (押切), 2000 – (adapted from ''Intruder'') * ''
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...
'' (案山子), 2001 – (adapted from the short story of the same name) * ''Love Ghost'' (死びとの恋わずらい), 2001 – (adapted from ''The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volume 15: Lovesick Dead'') * ''Marronnier'' (マロニエ), 2004 – (loosely adapted from ''Marionette Mansion'' and ''A Doll's Hellish Burial'') * ''The Groaning Drain'' (うめく排水管), 2004 – (adapted from ''Groaning Drain Pipes'') * ''Tomio'' (富夫), 2011 – (adapted from ''Tomio: Red Turtleneck'') *''Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack'', 2012 – (adapted from '' Gyo: Ugomeku Bukimi'') *''Tales of the Bizarre: 2015 Spring Special - The Earthbound (世にも奇妙な物語 スペシャル・春 - 地縛者),'' 2015 – (adapted from ''The Earthbound'') * ''
Junji Ito Collection is a horror anime anthology series adapted from the works of manga artist Junji Ito. Animated by Studio Deen, the anime adapts stories from several of Ito's collections. The series premiered on January 5, 2018, and ran for 12 episodes, accompa ...
'', 2018 *
NextDoor
'' 2021 – (adapted from ''The Woman Next Door'') *''Uzumaki'', TBD *''Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre,'' 2023


References


External links

* *
English Fansite

The Horrifyingly Beautiful ''Junji Itō : Collection'' Exhibit at ACG_Labo


Interviews

*
A Talk with Junji Ito , Creator Interview , VIZ
' *
Junji Ito tells us the secret of making stories TRULY scary , VIZ
'
''Into the Spiral: A Conversation with Japanese Horror Maestro Junji Ito''
*
Junji Ito Interview , Adapting No Longer Human , VIZ
' *
Junji Ito Tours A Real Haunted House ( The Winchester Mystery House )
' *
Conversation with Junji Ito , TCAF 2019 , VIZ
' *
A Haunting Conversation with Junji Ito , Comic-Con@Home 2020 , VIZ
' *
Comic-Con@Home 2021 , Junji Ito Panel , VIZ
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ito, Junji 1963 births Living people Japanese horror writers Manga artists from Gifu Prefecture Horror artists Weird fiction writers