ProfileChronological tableManga declaration
Chronological table
1938 Jan 25 Born as the first son of his father, Kotaro, and mother, Kashiku, in Ishinomori, Nakada-cho, Tome-gun, Miyagi Prefecture (one older sister, two younger brothers and one younger sister). Real name: Shotaro Onodera.
1950 After entering middle school, he produced compilations of manga together with like-minded people in the neighborhood called Bokuju Itteki (a drop of ink), named after a book of poetical works of Shiki Masaoka, but this ceased with the second issue. In the following year (the second year at middle school), for the first time he entered a four-frame comic strip in a competition in the Mainichi Junior High School Students Newspaper and won a prize. He then started fanatically sending his work to manga magazine competitions.
1953 In the summer holidays during his first year at high school he set up the East Japan Manga Study Group with people who submitted work to Manga Shonen (a manga magazine), and completed the group’s first issue of a handwritten manga compilation, Bokuju Itteki. In May of the following year (spring of the second year of high school), he received a telegram requesting help with work from Osamu Tezuka. Absenting himself from school, he traveled to Tokyo. He worked as an assistant before and after a mid-term test.
1954  Dec Debuted with 2nd Class Angel on the first issue of Manga Shonen of the year.
Beginning of 1957 He purchased the latest high-fidelity stereo (record player) using the whole of a payment received for a new manga called Firebird Kazetaro. On April 4 of the following year, his older sister died in Tokyo.
1959 Responding to an invitation by Osamu Tezuka, he participated in the production of a manga movie called Journey to the West of Toei Company, Ltd.
1961  Aug He received advances from various manga publishers and participated in a science fiction convention in Seattle as a journalist of Shueisha Inc., then embarked on a trip around the world (70 days) without coming back to Japan. At the end of the year, he moved out of Tokiwaso.
1963  May Established an animation production company called Studio Zero with Shinichi Suzuki.
1964
Married Toshiko (with Osamu Tezuka as matchmaker). Became a member of the Japan Cartoonists Association when it was set up in December.
1966 Became the 7th winner of the Kodansha Children’s Manga Award for Mutant Sabu and Cyborg 009.
1968 Became the 13th winner of the Shogakukan Manga Award for Jun and Sabu and Ichi’s Detective Stories.
1980  Oct Partied to celebrate drawing more than 70,000 pages and the 25th anniversary of becoming a professional manga artist.
1981 Became managing director of the Japan Cartoonists Association. Held a Alumni Party with the former residents of Tokiwaso (demolished December 2 the following year).
1984  Dec Became a member of the Children’s Literary Artist Club (the current Creators’ Group, Prominence).
1986  July  1 On the 30th anniversary of the issue of his first manga, he changed his pen-name to Ishinomori, which was what he had originally expected to be called.
1988 Became the 33rd winner of the Shogakukan Manga Award for manga such as Hotel, and the 17th winner of the grand prix of the Japan Cartoonists Association for his Guide to the Japanese Economy in Manga [An Introduction to Japanese Economy]. Became a council member of the Japan Education Centre for the Hotel Industry. Became a member of Media Comic LAC.
1989  Sept Became a member of the Nippon Television Network Corporation’s program council and also a member of the Access for Programs Council which was set up for teletext broadcasting. Won the Nakada-cho honorary town resident prize.
1990  Oc Assigned special membership of the Economic Planning Agency’s economic council until December 1991. Won the Japanese Wine Grand Prix which is awarded to people who best suit Japanese wine. Also won the Best Producer Award for 1990 of the Association to Choose the Best Producer of the Year.
1994  Jan  1 Became manager of a manga artists group called Manga Japan when it was set up.
1995 Became honorable director of the Ueda City Multimedia Information Center when it was opened.
1996  Sept Chaired the East Asia Manga Summit 96. Assigned to be Miyagi Dream Ambassador.
1997  Mar  16 The 45th anniversary event, Ishinomori Manga Exhibition started a three-year tour of Japan, beginning with Nakada-cho, Ishinomori’s hometown. Assigned to be the first honorable village headman of World Event Village Gifu in Gifu Prefecture. Won the Academy Grand Prix at the 97 Asia Manga Convention in Korea.
1998  Jan  28 Died at age of sixty at Juntendo University Hospital in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, the Japan Cartoonists Association Award and the Minister of Education Award for his work. Also received the special Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for his long lasting contributions to manga and the world of manga.
1999 Received the Special Manga Award at the Asia Manga Summit 99 in Taiwan for his great work and influence on the field of manga in Asia and the world.
Revival of Robocon after 25 years with Be Fiery!! Robocon.
2000  July  20 Shotaro Ishinomori Memorial Museum (operated by Nakada-cho) opened in Nakata-cho, Ishinomori’s hometown. Revival of the Masked Rider series with Masked Rider Kuuga.
2001  July  23 Ishinomori Manga Museum opened in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. Revival of Kikaider The Animation and Cyborg 009, Ishinomori’s masterpieces, in animation. Broadcasting of the second series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Agito, commenced.
2002 Broadcasting of the third series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Ryuki, commenced and caused a sensation because of a new approach. DVDs of Ishinomori’s manga animations were released for sale in rapid succession.
2003 Set up an official website, ISHIMORI@STYLE. Broadcasting of the fourth series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider 555, commenced. Ishinomori’s spirit is still alive and many animations based on his work are being created.
2004  Jan Broadcasting of the fifth series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Blade, commenced on the 66th birthday of Ishinomori.
2004  Sept Ishimori Entertainment Inc. was established together with ITOCHU Corporation and Ishimori Production Inc. in order to further promote Ishinomori’s works, which had been entertaining fans for 45 years, and for planning, production investments and business expansion not only in Japan, but also in the US, Europe and other Asian countries.
2005  Jan Broadcasting of the sixth series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Hibiki, commenced.
2005  Nov Agreement for the joint development of a movie based on Ishinomori’s work with Comic Book Movies, a movie production company in Hollywood.
2006  Jan Broadcasting of the seventh series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Kabuto, commenced.
2006  Oct A TV animation called 009-1, based on Ishinomori’s manga, Zero Zero Kunoichi; Spy Android Girl, produced for the first time, broadcast by TBS caused a sensation.
2007  Jan Broadcasting of the eighth series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Den-O, commenced.
2007  April A TV animation based on Ishinomori’s manga, The Skull Man (1970), which was the origin of the Masked Rider series still being broadcast, was produced for the first time.
2008 Broadcasting of the ninth series of Masked Rider in the Heisei Era, Masked Rider Kiva, commenced.