What were you like when you were younger (say in middle school or high school)?
I had manga on the brain, and I was constantly drawing, hardly ever doing my homework. In short, a bit of a brat.
How did growing up in a rural environment influence your manga, or your personality in general?
This is a story set in a slow-paced, relaxed setting, far away from capitalist society. My personality is very slow-paced, too, so that's why I often just barely meet my deadlines for the manga.
I've heard that you were a huge fan of Akira Toriyama's Dragonball and Dr. Slump. What was your favorite storyline in Dragonball? Or, if you prefer, who was your favorite character?
I love all the stories up until the first appearance of Freeza. My favorite character is Kuririn, because he has the most "human" feel, and I really associate myself with him.
When you were young, you were attacked by monkeys. Can you tell us about the experience?
I accidentally stepped on a young monkey, and the alpha male of the group and the mother of the monkey attacked me. Ever since then, I have been afraid of monkeys. But these days, I look back on the incident and realize that the protective, nurturing aspect of the monkey is just the same as what a human would feel.
You grew up next to a military base, and the ninja in Naruto behave something like a military force, with discipline and training. Are you a military enthusiast, and did you ever consider joining the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF)?
I don't really consider myself a military enthusiast. Where I grew up didn't actually have a military base, as Japanese doesn't have a military, just a Self-Defense Force. What I did was use the training ground for the SDF as reference, in addition to books on the Mossad and the SAS. I never wanted to join the JSDF, as I wanted to draw manga.
I've heard that you were most inspired by Akira -- the anime, and the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo. Why is this, and what inspired you?
I consider Akira (1988) to be the first Japanese anime to use the "fresco" style of art. Unlike the other works during that time, the character designs, lines, and sense were very realistic, as was the manga itself. Even the buildings were very detailed, and the sheer amount of information that the art conveyed was incredible. It was a very cool science fiction manga. I think it's also the reason anime became so popular in the U.S. I got a bunch of storyboards for Akira when I was 14, and remember constantly copying them.
What was it like going to art school? What was the most useful thing you learned there?
I trained in plaster mediums and the drawing of the human body to increase my skills as a design artist. I also learned graphic design, coloring, and perspectives. Manga is still an art form that you pick up by yourself -- that's the current reality of the Japanese manga industry. Although the drawing skills that I learned in art school were quite useful, I had the abilities of drawing and perspective prior to entering art school. Thus, going to art school was more of a step backward for me.
What was it like being "trained" to be a professional manga artist fro Weekly Shonen Jump? What kinds of things did you learn?
Of course, art is a big part of being a manga artist, but equally important is being able to write a story well. I do pretty much everything by myself, from the characters to the story to the backgrounds. Also, receiving advice from the editor is important, but I think getting a good editor who is supportive of you is key.
You played baseball as a kid, and at one point you considered making a baseball manga. Do you still follow baseball? If so, what is your favorite team?
I love playing baseball, but I don't really like watching it. I don't have a favorite team in Japan. If Japan had major league teams as impressive as the Americans, I might have a team I would root for.
