is a Japanese

manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the indus ...

best known for his

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series ''

Case Closed ''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994; its chapters are collected in 10 ...

'' (''Detective Conan'', 1994–present). As of 2017, his various manga series had a combined 250 million copies in print worldwide.

Educational background

Aoyama was talented in

drawing Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...

even at an early age. In elementary school, his painting of "Yukiai War" won a competition and was displayed at the Tottori Daimaru Department Store. He has an older brother who is a scientist and helps him out with the "gimmicks" in ''Case Closed''. He has another brother who is a doctor. Aoyama graduated from Yuraikuei High School, before going on to study at

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice, in 1889. The university's name is derived from the Ja ...

College of Art in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. In winter of 1986, Aoyama won a comic contest for freshmen students. When he was an art student, Aoyama had a part-time job working at

Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney park t ...

, where he painted backgrounds for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Career

Aoyama made his debut as a manga artist with ''Chotto Mattete'', which was published in the magazine ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly 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, making it ...

'' in 1987. Shortly after that, he began '' Magic Kaito'' in the same magazine. Between 1988 and 1993, Aoyama created the series '' Yaiba'', which ran for 24 volumes. Later, he would release other manga series in single volumes, such as '' Third Baseman No.4'' and ''Gosho Aoyama's Collection of Short Stories''. Aoyama also designed the characters for the "Twilight of Edo Japan" chapter in the 1994 video game '' Live A Live''. Aoyama began serializing ''

'' in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' in January 1994.

Awards and recognition

Aoyama has won two awards for his work as a manga artist. In 1992, he won the

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is ...

for shōnen for ''Yaiba''. He would go on to win the same award for a second time in 2001, this time for ''Case Closed''. Additionally, his hometown Hokuei has undertaken several ''machi okoshi'' (town revitalization) projects in honor of his contribution as a manga artist and resident. The first projects were the Conan Bridge across the Yura River and ''Case Closed'' statues. On March 18, 2007, the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory, a museum that celebrates Aoyama's career as a manga artist, was opened.

Personal life

On May 5, 2005, Aoyama married

Minami Takayama is a Japanese voice actress, narrator and singer who is currently affiliated with 81 Produce. She is also the main vocalist of Two-Mix and ES CONNEXION when it was active. Her uncle is a former New Japan Pro-Wrestling managing director Hisash ...

, the singer of

Two-Mix Two-Mix (temporarily known as II MIX⊿DELTA) is a J-pop, Japanese pop duo formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama (vocals and composer) and Shiina Nagano (synthesizer, composer and lyricist). Their style is fast Electronic music, electronic Pop music, ...

and voice actress for Conan in the anime adaptation of ''Case Closed''. On December 10, 2007, the two divorced.

Manga works

* (1987) :The story of a boy genius named Yutaka Takai, whose time machine jetpack sends his love interest through time for two years. * (1987–present) :A five-volume manga series that tells the adventures of Kaito Kid, a mysterious gentleman thief who uses his skills as illusionist and master of disguise to commit robberies; his secret identity is that of high school student Kaito Kuroba. The first two volumes of the manga series were released in 1988, the third in 1994, the fourth in 2007, and the fifth in 2017; three more chapters were published in 2024. Although the series is currently on hiatus, Kaito Kid still appears regularly in ''Case Closed''. *'' Yaiba'' (1988–1993) :A 24-volume manga series about the adventures of a young samurai named Yaiba Kurogane. It was adapted into a 52-episode anime series which aired between 1993 and 1994. * (1991–1993) :A one-volume manga that tells the story of a boy named Shigeo Nagashima, a mediocre baseball player on his high school team. One day, he buys a magical bat from a sporting goods store that allows him to hit every pitch. However, he has to pay the mysterious store for each pitch he hits. * :Various short works written over the years: :: :: :: :: :: :: * :Ongoing series that tells the story of genius high school detective Shinichi Kudo, who one day is turned into a child by mysterious men and assumes the alias of Conan Edogawa. While trying to track down these men, he often encounters complicated mysteries, most of which only he can solve. This series is Aoyama's most well-known creation, and has been collected in 107 volumes as of April 18, 2025. * (2007) :A one-shot about a girl named , who can read people's minds when she looks them in the eyes.

References

External links

Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory (Official English website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aoyama, Gosho 1963 births Living people Japanese animated film producers Japanese anime producers Japanese mystery writers Japanese writers Nihon University alumni Manga artists from Tottori Prefecture