Japanese manga artist Leiji Matsumoto died of heart failure on 13 February 2023 at a hospital in Tokyo, his company announced. He was 85.
Matsumoto was known for the manga series Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock.
A funeral was held with family and close friends in attendance. It was hosted by his wife Miyako Maki, a former manga artist.
The artists is well-known for his work with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on the 1970s TV animated series Space Battleship Yamato – which is titled Star Blazers in USA. He has also supervised animated videos for French electronic music duo Daft Punk. These videos were released on DVD under the title Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem in 2003.
Born on 25 January 1938 in Kurume, Matsumoto had begun drawing at a young age. At just 18, he had debuted with Mitsubachi no Boken, a manga he had written while finishing high school. In 2010, the Japanese government conferred on him the Order of the Rising Sun for his work in promoting the country’s culture overseas. This award is given for exceptional civil or military merit. He has also been awarded by the French government for his contribution to the popularisation of Japanese manga and anime around the world.
“Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto departed for the sea of stars,” an official statement from his company said — implying how so many his works were set in space. He used to say, “At the point where the wheels of time meet, we will meet again,” the statement further mentioned.
