Yanase Takashi was born 6 February 1919 in Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan and was died 13 October 2013 in Hongo, Tokyo, Japan.
ANPANMAN (1973-2013)[]
Takashi Yanase was a Japanese writer, poet, illustrator and lyricist. He was best known as the creator of the picture book and animated series Anpanman. Yanase was chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Association from May 2000 to 2012.
Early life, Military service[]
After graduating from the Tokyo School of Arts and Crafts in 1939 he entered Tokyo Tanabe Pharmaceuticals in the marketing department. In 1941 he was drafted into the army under the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Reserve Company stationed in China. As an educated non-commissioned officer he occasionally undertook pacification duties, presenting kamishibai to Chinese civilians. His younger brother was killed in action during the Pacific Campaign.
Post-war alongside other veterans Yanase made a living collecting garbage. To pursue his artistic embarkations he entered Kochi Shimbun in 1956, working as an editor. Hearing that his co-worker Nobu Komatsu was quitting and relocating to Tokyo, Yanase did the same. They would marry in 1947. While working at Mitsukoshi as a graphic designer he would pick up drawing manga seriously, submitting his works to newspapers and magazines. Finding success, Yanase would quit to work on manga full-time in 1953. His income from manga was triple that of his department store job.
Religion[]
The day after his death, an obituary in the October 16, 2013 edition of the Tokyo Shimbun reported that he was "a dandy Christian with a strong faith." However, a correction was later published in the November 20, 2013 edition of the Tokyo Shimbun: "It was an error to refer to Takashi Yanase as a Christian." Yanase himself wrote in "Gekkan Omoshihan No. 57, Special Feature: No Need for Religion!" in the March 1976 issue of Gekkan Omoshihan No. 57, "I don't have any religious beliefs at all. I'll probably never turn to religion." and "I'm not religious at all, even though I respect religion and worship God in my own way. I'm not religious at all."
Photos of his gravesite also show no evidence of him being a Christian. His gravesite lacks crosses and references to Jesus Christ. He was cremated and buried at his father's former home, where he spent his early childhood. On his gravestone is the poem translated from Japanese, "I want to be a magnolia tree. In the season, bashful and shy, white flowers will bloom. I want to sway with the breeze."