Matsumoto, whose actual identify was Akira Matsumoto, died of acute coronary heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on Feb. 13, his workplace, Studio Leijisha, stated Monday.

Born within the southwestern metropolis of Kurume, Matsumoto began drawing at age 6, and rose to fame with “Otoko Oidon,” a manga collection telling the story of a poor man from southern Japan who lives in a boarding home in Tokyo and struggles to stability work and finding out.

A lot of his manga have been within the “battlefield comics” style with greater than 150 tales depicting tragedy of warfare.

His antiwar theme comes from his father, an elite military pilot who returned from Southeast Asia and taught his son that warfare ought to by no means be fought.

In his interview with Japan’s NHK tv in 2018, Matsumoto recalled seeing his father apologize to the moms of his subordinates for not with the ability to convey them again alive. His father additionally advised Matsumoto that one needed to be a demon to not suppose an enemy has a household.

“Battle destroys your future,” Matsumoto stated within the interview, noting that many proficient youths who may need contributed to “the civilization of mankind” have been killed throughout warfare.

“I used to be advised by my father that any life is born in an effort to dwell, to not die,” Matsumoto stated. “I feel we shouldn’t be losing time preventing on the Earth.”

Matsumoto obtained a number of cultural and humanities awards from the Japanese authorities, and the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from France.

Matsumoto’s daughter Makiko Matsumoto, who heads the studio, stated in a press release launched on Twitter: “Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto set out on a journey to the ocean of stars. I feel he lived a cheerful life, excited about persevering with to attract tales as a manga artist.”