Tetsuya Chiba: Ashita no Joe Manga Creator Dies at 87

Tetsuya Chiba was a Japanese manga artist. Born on January 11, 1939, in Tokyo, he made his professional debut in 1956 and remained active for 70 years.

He created the boxing manga Ashita no Joe, drawn from a story by Asao Takamori and serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine from 1968 to 1973. It became one of the best-known sports manga of all time. His other works include Ore wa Teppei and Ashita Tenki ni Naare. He served as chair and later president of the Japan Cartoonists Association, and in 2024 he became the first manga artist to receive Japan's Order of Culture.

His publisher Shogakukan announced on October 27, 2026, that he had died on October 22, 2026, at a hospital in Tokyo, at age 87. Japanese media reported the cause as myelodysplastic syndrome. A private funeral was held for family.

Achievements: Creator of Ashita no Joe, Order of the Rising Sun (2012), Order of Culture (2024).

Birth: January 11, 1939 - Tokyo, Japan.

Profession: Manga artist.

Interesting Facts: Kodansha created the Tetsuya Chiba Award for newcomers in 1980, and his brothers Akio Chiba and Shigeyuki Chiba are also manga artists.