Fujiko Fujio

Fujiko Fujio (藤子不二雄) was a penname of a manga writing duo formed by two Japanese manga artists. Their real names are Hiroshi Fujimoto (藤本 弘) and Motō Abiko (安孫子 素雄). They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987.

They won many individual and collaborative awards, and are best known for creating the popular and long-running series Doraemon, the main character of which is officially recognized as a cultural icon of Japan. In spite of the enormous popularity in Asian countries, none of their works have ever been officially introduced to any English-speaking countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand.

Pennames
Note: The works under the duo penname were not always their joint works. Many of them were reprinted under the individual penname.
 * The duo: Fujiko Fujio (藤子不二雄)
 * Abiko: Fujiko Fujio (A) (藤子不二雄)
 * Fujimoto: Fujiko F. Fujio (藤子・F・不二雄), and for a short while after the breakup, Fujiko Fujio (F) (藤子不二雄)

Biography
Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko were both from Toyama, Japan. Fujimoto was born on December 1, 1933 and Abiko on March 10, 1934. In 1944, when they were both elementary school students, Abiko transferred to Fujimoto's school and they found they both liked drawing. After entering junior high school, they remained friends although they went to different schools. While they were junior high school students (1946–1948), they were excited by a comic book written by Osamu Tezuka, Shin Takarajima (New Treasure Island). They published their own manga coterie magazines. They were also impressed by Tezuka’s Lost World and Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and they wrote fan letters to them. When they became high school students, they started writing manga for the readers' columns of various publishers. They made their debut in Tenshi no Tama-chan. They earned money from this, so they visited Tezuka’s house in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, before they graduated from high school.

Because both Fujimoto and Abiko were both eldest sons, they decided to take company jobs after graduating from high school in 1952. Fujimoto joined a confectionery company, and Abiko began working for a local newspaper publisher. However, Fujimoto quickly quit the job because of injury. Abiko managed to be consistent with manga. While Abiko was working for the company, Fujimoto took a central role in contributing serial manga. At this time, their pen name was Ashizuka Fujio. In 1953 they published Utopia: The Last World War (UTOPIA—最後の世界大戦). The next year (1954), they decided to go to Tokyo in order to become professional manga artists. They formed a mangaka group called New Manga Party (新漫画党) with Terada Hiroo and others. At first, Fujimoto and Abiko lodged at Ryōgoku; however, afterwards they moved to an apartment of Tokiwa-so where Hiroo lived.

They continued to draw manga day after day. A lot of editors of manga publishers visited and asked Fujiko Fujio to write serial manga. They became a popular mangaka. However, they lost their job during 1955 through the early 1956 because at the New Year of 1955 they returned home to Toyama, and they relaxed so much that they missed the deadlines of nearly all their manga. After this, they only barely recovered their credibility. In 1959, they left Tokiwa-so, and moved to Usagi-so, and then to Kawasaki, Kanagawa. Fujimoto got married in 1962 (at the age of 28). The next year, Fujiko Fujio received the Shogakukan Manga Award for their manga Susume Robot and Tebukuro Tecchan.

Fujimoto and Abiko established Studio Zero with Shin’ichi Suzuki, Shotaro Ishinomori, Jiro Tsunoda, Kiyoichi Tsunoda, and one employee. Later Fujio Akatsuka joined, and at its peak the studio employed about 80 people. They produced several animated films, for example, Astro Boy. Fujiko Fujio revived their popularity as mangaka again with Obake no Q-tarō in 1964. Both of them continued to write popular manga and anime, for example Ninja Hattori-kun, Kaibutsu-kun, Pāman, 21-emon, etc. Abiko got married in 1966 at the age of 32.

Fujimoto started writing Doraemon in 1970, and at the same time he started writing complete manga for young people. Doraemon at first did not attract children’s attention very much. However, three years later, Doraemon became an animated series on TV, and he became a popular character nationwide. Fujimoto was awarded a prize for Doraemon by Nihon Mangaka Association in 1973. On the other hand, Abiko wrote Black Salesman (later re-entitled Warau Salesman), autobiographical Manga-michi, etc. Abiko’s manga were aimed at young adults (Seinen) while Fujimoto's were aimed at children (Kodomo).

Both Fujimoto and Abiko travelled around the world. Abiko wrote manga about Mao Zedong based on a trip to China. A lot of trips helped Fujimoto to write manga, especially T.P. Bon.

In 1987, Fujimoto and Abiko ended their partnership, and after that, they worked independently.

From 1980 until his death in 23 September, 1996 due to liver failure, Fujimoto wrote a series of long manga of Doraemon every year. The manga series were animated on the screen, and every year the animated films were a gold mine for the movie industry. In 1989, Fujimoto won two awards for Doraemon movies. Abiko’s Hattori the Ninja and Pro Golfer Saru were also animated with Doraemon on the screen.

Despite their works being highly popular among people who speak the English language, such as tourists who buy Doraemon VHS and DVD releases that are available with English subtitles, they never came to any English-speaking countries.

A documentary was aired on TV Asahi on February 19, 2006, chronicling the life and times of Fujiko Fujio.

A Fujiko F. Fujio museum opened in Kawasaki, Kanagawa on September 3, 2011, which features a reproduction of Fujio's studio and a display of their artwork.

Abiko died at his home in Kawasaki on April 7, 2022.

Awards
As Fujiko Fujio:
 * 1963 - Shogakukan Manga Award for Susume Robot and Tebukuro Tecchan
 * 1973 – Japan Cartoonists Association Award for excellence for Doraemon
 * 1981 – Kawasaki City’s Cultural Prize (川崎市文化賞)
 * 1982 – Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga for Doraemon
 * 1997 – The first Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Grand Prize for Doraemon

As Fujiko F. Fujio:
 * 1989 – Film Special Meritorious Prize (映画特別功労賞)
 * 1989 - Golden Gloss Prize (ゴールデングロス賞)
 * 1992 – Japanese Cartoonists Association Ministry of Education Prize

As Fujiko Fujio (A):
 * 1990 – Prize of Masumi Fujimoto (藤本真澄賞) and Special Prize of Fumiko Yamaji (山路ふみ子特別賞) for the film of Shōnen Jidai''
 * 2005 – Japanese Cartoonists Association Ministry of Education Prize
 * 2008 - Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette

Fujiko Fujio's major works

 * Obake no Q-tarō‎ (1964-1969, 1971-1974)

Fujiko F. Fujio's major works

 * Pāman (1966-1968, 1983-1986)
 * 21-emon (21エモン) (1968-1969, 1981)
 * Moja-kō (モジャ公) (1969-1970)
 * Ume-boshi Denka (ウメ星デンカ) (1969)
 * Doraemon (1970-...)
 * Kiteretsu Daihyakka (1974-1977)
 * Esper Mami (1977-1982)
 * Chimpui (チンプイ) (1985, 1987-1988)

Fujiko Fujio (A)'s major works

 * Ninja Hattori-kun (1964-1968, 1981-1988)
 * Kaibutsu-kun (1965-1969, 1980-1982); the spin-offs (2011...)
 * Warau Salesman (笑ゥせぇるすまん) (1968-1971, 1989-1996)
 * Manga-michi (まんが道) (1970-1972, 1977-1982, 1986; 1986-1988; 1989-1990, 1995)
 * Matarō ga Kuru!! (魔太郎がくる!!) (1972-1975)
 * Pro Golfer Saru (プロゴルファー猿) (1974-1980; 1982-1988; 1989; 1999-2005)
 * Shadow Shōkai Henkirō (シャドウ商会変奇郎) (1976-1977)
 * Shōnen Jidai (少年時代) (1978-1979)
 * Parasol Henbē (1989-1991)