Leiji Matsumoto, manga artist of "Space Battleship Yamato" and "Galaxy Express 999," passed away.

Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto passed away at a Tokyo hospital on February 13, 2023, it was announced on his official website. He was 85 years old.

According to the official Twitter page of his official site "Zero Jikisha," " Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto passed away on February 13, 2023, at a hospital in Tokyo.
The sitealso quotes Mr. Matsumoto's words, "We will meet again in the distant future where the rings of time meet," and says, " We believe in those words and look forward to that day.



Leiji Matsumoto was born on January 25, 1938. He was born in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture (spent his childhood in Kokura City).

He began drawing manga when he was 9 years old after encountering Osamu Tezuka's "Shin Glorious Island" and "Gekkai Gentleman." He made his debut in a commercial magazine at the age of 16, and after a career in girls' manga magazines, he began working in the boys' and boys' manga genre.
His representative works include "Otoko Oidon," "Gun Frontier," "Space Battleship Yamato," "Emeraldus," "The Cockpit Series," "Space Pirate Captain Harlock," "The Galaxy Express 999," and "Shin Taketori Monogatari: 1000 Years Queen.

In addition to directing and designing the settings for the 1974 broadcast of "Space Battleship Yamato," he also worked on storyboards. The 1977 broadcast of "The Galaxy Express 999" was a huge hit and triggered the Matsumoto boom in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

We pray for his soul rest in peace.

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