View source for Takehiko Inoue

{{Short description|Japanese manga artist (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image         = Takehiko Inoue 20240312 (cropped).jpg
| image_size    = 
| caption       = Inoue in [[Tokyo]], 2024
| alt           = 
| bodyclass     =
| birth_name    = Takehiko Nariai
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|01|12}}
| birth_place   = [[Isa, Kagoshima|Ōkuchi]], [[Kagoshima Prefecture|Kagoshima]], Japan
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| nationality   = 
| area          =  [[Manga artist]]
| alias         = 
| signature     = <!-- optional -->
| signature_alt = 
| notable works =  ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]''<br/>''[[Vagabond (manga)|Vagabond]]''<br/>''[[Real (manga)|Real]]''
| collaborators = 
| awards        = [[Tezuka Award]] (1988)<br />[[Shogakukan Manga Award]] (1995)<br />[[Kodansha Manga Award]] (2000)<br />[[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]] (2002)
| module        = 
| website       =
| nonUS         = 
| subcat        = 
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Takehiko Inoue'''|井上 雄彦|Inoue Takehiko|born 12 January 1967}} is a Japanese [[manga artist]]. He is best known for the basketball series ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'' (1990–1996), and the ''[[jidaigeki]]'' manga ''[[Vagabond (manga)|Vagabond]]'', which are two of [[List of best-selling manga|the best-selling manga series in history]]. Many of his works are about basketball, Inoue himself being a huge fan of the sport. His works sold in North America through [[Viz Media]] are ''Slam Dunk'', ''Vagabond'' and ''[[Real (manga)|Real]]'', although ''Slam Dunk'' was earlier translated by [[Gutsoon! Entertainment]]. In 2012, Inoue became the first recipient of the Cultural Prize at the [[Asia Cosmopolitan Awards]]. In 2024, Inoue received the MEXT Arts Encouragement Prize (Media Arts division).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Anime News, Top Stories & In-Depth Anime Insights |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=Crunchyroll News |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==

Inoue was born in Ōkuchi, now part of [[Isa, Kagoshima]], and was fond of drawing since he was a child. During elementary and junior high school, Inoue joined the [[kendo]] and basketball clubs, becoming captain of the latter. In his third year at Kagoshima Prefectural Oguchi High School, Inoue took a summer course at an art preparatory school with the plan of enrolling into an art university, but such schools were too expensive so he ended up going to [[Kumamoto University]] near his hometown.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lehman |first=Timothy |title=Manga: Masters of the Art |date=2005 |publisher=Collins Design |isbn=978-0-06-083331-2 |location=New York |pages=81}}</ref> There he majored in literature. His submission to ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' caught the attention of editor Taizo Nakamura and, at the age of 20, Inoue dropped out of college to move to Tokyo and pursue a career as a manga artist.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-05-09|url=http://doraku.asahi.com/hito/runner2/100105_03.html|title=漫画家 井上雄彦（いのうえ・たけひこ）さん（3/3）|publisher=朝日新聞 DO楽|accessdate=2022-08-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328003503/http://doraku.asahi.com/hito/runner2/100105_03.html|archive-date=2010-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kagoshima (Japan): Prefecture, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/cities/kagoshima/ |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=【クローズアップ】伊佐市の取り組みを探る 地方の過疎化とどう向き合うか｜NetIB-News |url=https://www.data-max.co.jp/article/77129 |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=【クローズアップ】伊佐市の取り組みを探る 地方の過疎化とどう向き合うか｜NetIB-News |language=ja}}</ref>

==Career==
Before his debut, Inoue was an assistant to [[Tsukasa Hojo]] on ''[[City Hunter]]''. He made his debut in 1988, when {{nihongo4|''Purple Kaede''|楓パープル}} appeared in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' magazine. It won the 35th annual [[Tezuka Award]]. His first serialization was in 1989 with ''[[Chameleon Jail]]'', for which he was the illustrator of a story written by Kazuhiko Watanabe.

Inoue's first real fame came with his next manga, ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'', about a basketball team from Shohoku High School. It was published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1990 to 1996 and has sold over 170 million copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:6000万部突破、1年で約4倍 新刊18巻の書影初公開".|url=https://www.sankei.com/article/20170806-NBR2ARLGGJPVFAE7HELQDENTJE/4/|date=August 6, 2017|access-date=February 11, 2022|publisher=Sankei|language=ja|archive-date=10 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210092155/https://www.sankei.com/article/20170806-NBR2ARLGGJPVFAE7HELQDENTJE/4/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1995 it received the 40th annual [[Shogakukan Manga Award]] for [[shōnen manga]] and in 2007 was declared Japan's favorite manga.<ref name="ShogakukanAward">{{cite web | url=http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html | script-title=ja:小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 | publisher=Shogakukan | language=ja | access-date=10 August 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929094941/http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html |archive-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> ''Slam Dunk'' was adapted into a 101 episode [[anime]] television series and four films. The manga's popularity caused a surge of interest in basketball among Japanese youth,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://triton.soc.rikkyo.ac.jp/~ronkore/final_rep.html| title = スポーツとメディアの関係性 (Relation between sports and media)| publisher = students of [[Rikkyo University]]| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060703084029/http://triton.soc.rikkyo.ac.jp/~ronkore/final_rep.html| archive-date = July 3, 2006}}</ref> leading to Inoue and his publisher [[Shueisha]] creating the ''Slam Dunk'' Scholarship program in 2006<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-03/first-slam-dunk-basketball-scholarship-awarded| title = First Slam Dunk Basketball Scholarship Awarded| publisher = Anime News Network| date= October 3, 2007| access-date = January 13, 2015}}</ref> and Inoue receiving commendation from the [[Japan Basketball Association]] for helping popularize basketball in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-06-09/japan-basketball-association-awards-slam-dunk-inoue|title=Japan Basketball Association Awards Slam Dunk's Inoue|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=June 9, 2010|access-date=June 17, 2013}}</ref>

Inoue launched ''[[Buzzer Beater (manga)|Buzzer Beater]]'' as an [[Webcomic|online comic]] in May 1996 on the Sports-i ESPN website (now [[J Sports]]).<ref name="ITplanning">{{cite web |title=Works |url=https://itplanning.co.jp/previous/workse.html |website=itplanning.co.jp |access-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200523232757/https://itplanning.co.jp/previous/workse.html |archive-date=May 23, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is about a basketball team from Earth that attempts to compete on the intergalactic level, it appears on his official website in four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. ''Buzzer Beater'' was produced into a 13 episode anime series in 2005. In 2007, a second 13 episode series was produced. Both seasons were animated by [[TMS Entertainment]].

''[[Vagabond (manga)|Vagabond]]'' was Inoue's next manga, adapted from the fictionalized accounts by [[Eiji Yoshikawa]] of the samurai [[Miyamoto Musashi]], which he began drawing in 1998. The series won the [[Kodansha Manga Award]] for General manga in 2000<ref name="KodanshaHahn">{{cite web | url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml | author=Joel Hahn | title=Kodansha Manga Awards | work=Comic Book Awards Almanac | access-date=21 August 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070816031310/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 16 August 2007}}</ref> and the Grand Prize of the 6th [[Osamu Tezuka Culture Award]]s in 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/tezuka02.shtml|title=2002 (6th) Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prizes|publisher=The Hahn Library|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230114541/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/tezuka02.shtml|archive-date=2007-12-30}}</ref> receiving his award alongside fellow [[mangaka]], [[Kentaro Miura]].<ref name="TezukaAward">{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/shimbun/award/tezuka/02b.html|script-title=ja:第6回 マンガ優秀賞 三浦建太郎 『ベルセルク』|trans-title=Sixth award for excellence in manga, Kentaro Miura's "Berserk"|publisher=[[Asahi Shimbun]]|language=ja|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=October 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016081125/http://www.asahi.com/shimbun/award/tezuka/02b.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

While still working on ''Vagabond'', Inoue began drawing ''[[Real (manga)|Real]]'' in 1999, his third basketball manga, which focuses on [[wheelchair basketball]]. It received an Excellence Prize at the 2001 [[Japan Media Arts Festival]]. Inoue also created character designs for the [[Xbox 360]] RPG, ''[[Lost Odyssey]]'', based on initial material provided by [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]].<ref>{{cite magazine | date=2006-09-15 | script-title=ja:坂口博信、本格発進!| magazine=[[Famitsu|Famitsu Weekly]] | issue=980| publisher=[[Enterbrain]] | language=ja}}</ref> Sakaguchi sought out Inoue for his talent of depicting "people" and his ability to "illustrate the internal emotions of a character" since the goal of the video game was to explain people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/02/14/lost-odyssey-post-release-interview|title=Lost Odyssey Post-Release Interview|website=[[IGN]]|date=2008-02-14|access-date=2016-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116170924/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/14/lost-odyssey-post-release-interview|archive-date=2016-01-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2011, Inoue painted large images of the Buddhist leader [[Shinran]] on twelve [[folding screen]]s for display at the [[Hongan-ji|East Hongan Temple]] in [[Kyoto]]. The paintings include Shinran and [[Hōnen]] wading through water with a group of followers and an image Shinran with a bird.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-11-01/slam-dunk-takehiko-inoue-buddhist-folding-screen-on-display/.94784 |title=Slam Dunk's Takehiko Inoue's Buddhist Folding Screen on Display |last=Stimson |first=Eric |date=November 1, 2015 |website=animenewsnetwork.com |publisher=Anime News Network |access-date=May 18, 2023 |quote=}}</ref>

In 2013, Inoue published an illustrated travel memoir on the life and architecture of [[Antoni Gaudí]] titled ''[[Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudí]]'', detailing his thoughts and travels in [[Catalonia]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudi|last=Inoue|first=Takehiko|year=2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2013-04-09/east-meets-west-in-a-captivating-new-art-book-as-viz-media-releases-pepita/takehiko-inoue-meets-gaudi |title=East Meets West in a Captivating New Art Book as Viz Media Releases Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudí |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 9, 2013|website=animenewsnetwork.com |publisher=Anime News Network |access-date=November 1, 2022}}</ref>

In 2013, Takehiko Inoue was appointed by the Japanese Foreign Ministry to serve as an ambassador to celebrate Japan and Spain 400 years of goodwill until July 31, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Japanese Foreign Ministry Appoints "Slam Dunk" Manga Author as Japan-Spain Goodwill Ambassador|author=Mikikazu Komatsu|website=[[Crunchyroll]]|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2013/12/2/japanese-foreign-ministry-appoints-slam-dunk-manga-author-as-japan-spain-goodwill-ambassador}}</ref>

In 2022, Inoue made his directorial debut with the anime film adaptation of his ''Slam Dunk'' manga, titled ''[[The First Slam Dunk]]''. Inoue also wrote the screenplay and story for the film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Loo |first=Egan |date=August 13, 2021 |title=Slam Dunk Manga Creator Takehiko Inoue Helms, Pens New Anime Film for Fall 2022 |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-08-13/slam-dunk-manga-creator-takehiko-inoue-helms-pens-new-anime-film-for-fall-2022/.176209 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813121319/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-08-13/slam-dunk-manga-creator-takehiko-inoue-helms-pens-new-anime-film-for-fall-2022/.176209 |archive-date=August 13, 2021 |access-date=August 13, 2021 |website=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> In 2024, he received the Best Director and Best Screenplay award for his work at the [[Tokyo Anime Award|Tokyo Anime Award Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Oshi no Ko, The First Slam Dunk Win TAAF's Top Awards|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-08/oshi-no-ko-the-first-slam-dunk-win-taaf-top-awards/.207355|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=February 8, 2024|access-date=February 8, 2024|archive-date=February 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208145251/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-08/oshi-no-ko-the-first-slam-dunk-win-taaf-top-awards/.207355|url-status=live}}</ref> [[The First Slam Dunk]] was Japan’s top-grossing domestic film of 2023 (¥158.7 billion) and grossed about $281.1 million worldwide. It also won Animation of the Year at the 46th Japan Academy Film Prize.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The First Slam Dunk (2022) - Box Office and Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/First-Slam-Dunk-The-(2022-Japan) |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=The Numbers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Anime News, Top Stories & In-Depth Anime Insights |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=Crunchyroll News |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2024, he received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Fine Arts Award in the Media Arts division.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valdez |first=Nick |date=2024-03-04 |title=Slam Dunk Creator and More Earn Special Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/slam-dunk-takehiko-inoue-lifetime-achievement-award/ |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==Works==
===Serialized manga===
*''[[Chameleon Jail]]'' (1989–1990)
*''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|Slam Dunk]]'' (1990–1996)
*''[[Buzzer Beater (manga)|Buzzer Beater]]'' (1996–1998)
*''[[Vagabond (manga)|Vagabond]]'' (1998–2015) (on hiatus)
*''[[Real (manga)|Real]]'' (1999–present)
===Movies===
*''[[The First Slam Dunk]]'' (2022)

===Video games===
*''1 on 1'' (1998)<ref>{{Cite web|title=[PS3・PSP]1on1-バスケットボールゲーム|url=http://game.jorudan.co.jp/md/1on1/|website=[[Jorudan]]|language=Japanese|access-date=2025-01-12|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501131740/http://game.jorudan.co.jp/md/1on1/|archivedate=2011-05-01}}</ref>
*''[[Lost Odyssey]]'' (2006)

===Miscellaneous ===
*''[[Pepita: Takehiko Inoue Meets Gaudí]]'' (2013)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|http://www.itplanning.co.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/authorities/6273 Takehiko Inoue manga] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609215422/http://mediaarts-db.jp/mg/authorities/6273 |date=9 June 2016 }} at Media Arts Database {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/29/showbiz/takehiko-inoue-human-to-hero/index.html "How 'Slam Dunk' Manga artist brings characters to life"]—Article on [[CNN]]

{{Takehiko Inoue}}
{{Slam Dunk}}
{{Kodansha Manga Award - General}}
{{Shogakukan Manga Award - Shōnen}}
{{Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize}}
{{Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Newcomer}}
{{Tokyo Anime Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inoue, Takehiko}}
[[Category:Takehiko Inoue| ]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Japanese webcomic creators]]
[[Category:Kumamoto University alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Manga artists from Kagoshima Prefecture]]
[[Category:Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (General)]]