Kazuo Koike

{{Infobox comics creator 小池 一夫 Lady Snowblood }}
 * name         = Kazuo Koike
 * image        = Replace this image male.svg
 * imagesize    = 150
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 * location     = Daisen, Akita Prefecture}
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 * nationality  = Japanese
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 * notable works = Lone Wolf and Cub
 * awards       = Hall of Fame Eisner Award (2004)
 * website      = http://www.koikekazuo.jp/english/english.html
 * nonUS        = y
 * sortkey      = Koike, Kazuo
 * subcat       = Japanese
 * yob          = 1936
 * mob          = 5
 * dob          = 8
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Kazuo Koike (小池 一夫) is a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.

Biography
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series.

Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.

Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans.

Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka.

In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga. He has also written mahjong manga, as he himself is a former professional mahjong player.

Graduates of Koike's Gekika Sonjuku
Notable graduates include:
 * Rumiko Takahashi - manga artist: Ranma ½, InuYasha, Urusei Yatsura, etc
 * Akira Sakuma - game designer, freelance writer: Momotetsu series
 * Hideyuki Kikuchi - horror writer
 * Tetsuo Hara - manga artist: Fist of the North Star
 * Yuji Horii - game designer, freelance writer: Dragon Quest series
 * Keisuke Itagaki - manga artist: Baki the Grappler
 * Naoki Yamamoto - manga artist: Dance Till Tomorrow

Awards
Awards include:


 * 2004: Won the Hall of Fame Eisner Award