Akira Toriyama.

鳥山明

Born 5 Apr 1955 Kiyosu, Japan

Died 1 Mar 2024 Tokyo, Japan

Citizenship Japan

Would Be 71 yr If Living

11 min read

Reading time

2,051

Words

Oct 11, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

Akira Toriyama created the best-selling manga series Dragon Ball in 1984, which spawned multiple anime adaptations. He won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 for Dr. Slump. Toriyama also co-created the Dragon Quest video game franchise and designed characters for Chrono Trigger. He died in Tokyo on March 1, 2024 due to an acute subdural hematoma.

Identity & family.

KIN · 1

Names, aliases, and relatives of Akira Toriyama — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name 鳥山明

Aliases Toriyama Akira

Spouses: Yoshimi Kato

At a glance.

STATS

Akira Toriyama by the numbers — life, work, and family.

68 Years lived

2 Awards

1 Marriage

Who was Akira Toriyama?

BIOGRAPHY

Akira Toriyama — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Inspired by the animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961 during elementary school, Akira Toriyama began drawing animals and vehicles. He was born on April 5, 1955 in Kiyosu, Japan, and attended Okoshi Technical High School, which focused on creative design. Against his parents’ wishes, he chose not to pursue college. After graduation, he worked at an advertising agency in Nagoya designing posters. He quit at age 23 after repeatedly being reprimanded for dressing casually.

Career

Toriyama’s first published work was the one-shot Wonder Island 1978, but it came last in a popularity contest. His breakthrough came with the series Dr. Slump 1980-1984, featuring a superpowered robot girl Arale Norimaki. The series won him the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981. In 1984, he launched Dragon Ball, a martial-arts manga that ran for 11 years and 519 chapters, later adapted into four anime series. Toriyama also co-created the Dragon Quest video game series in 1986 as character designer. He continued producing one-shot stories and worked on animated films such as Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island 1988. In 2015, he served as screenwriter for Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F and provided scripts for the sequel manga Dragon Ball Super.

Personal life

Reclusive, Toriyama rarely appeared in public or gave interviews. He married fellow manga artist Yoshimi Kato in 1982, and they have two adult children. He worked from his home studio in Kiyosu and was an avid motorcycle collector, a passion inherited from his father. His fear of mice was so strong that he would avoid coming to work during an infestation. Despite his fame, he never took his series too seriously, often making up storylines on the spot.

Legacy

Dragon Ball boosted the popularity of Japanese animation in the Western world. The series inspired countless creators, including Eiichiro Oda, with whom Toriyama collaborated on the 2006 crossover story Cross Epoch. France appointed him a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2019 for his contributions to art. Posthumously, his stories continue to be adapted and celebrated. He created Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, two of the most successful manga franchises of all time.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 2

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Akira Toriyama — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Shogakukan Manga Award
Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 5

A wall of memorable lines from Akira Toriyama — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

His Favourite Dragonball Character: I Believe Mine Would Be Piccolo. He Was the First Character in My Manga Where I Was Like, He Has a Scary Face, but He’s so Cool! It Really Is Cliché When Bad Guys Turn into Good Guys, but It Just Feels Great Drawing It!
Nightmares Never Last. One Day You Wake up and They’re Gone.
Too Much Fantasy Loses Reality, Too Much Hope May Seem Somehow Empty.
Move Well, Study Well, Play Well, Eat Well, Rest Well – That Is the Turtle Master Way!
Tackle Life with as Much Energy as Goku! I’ll Try to Do the Same!

Did you know?

FACTS · 4

Little-known facts about Akira Toriyama — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Toriyama had a strong fear of mice and would refuse to go to his studio if there was a mouse infestation.
Despite the immense success of his series, Toriyama never took them too seriously, often inventing storylines as he went along.
He was an avid collector of motorcycles, a hobby inherited from his father.
Toriyama, a Japanese manga artist, created Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 54

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Akira Toriyama.

When was Akira Toriyama born?

Born on April 5, 1955, Akira Toriyama grew up in Kiyosu, Japan, developing an early interest in drawing inspired by films like One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Where was Akira Toriyama born?

Toriyama was born in Kiyosu, Japan, a city in Aichi Prefecture near Nagoya.
When did Akira Toriyama die?

His studio, Bird Studio, announced his death on March 1, 2024.
How old was Akira Toriyama when he died?

Toriyama died at age 68. He was born in 1955 and passed away in 2024.
Where did Akira Toriyama die?

He died in Tokyo, Japan. He was in the city when he suffered an acute subdural hematoma.
How did Akira Toriyama die?

An acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding in the brain, caused his death. His studio confirmed this condition.
What is Akira Toriyama's real name?

His real name in Japanese is 鳥山明, which is romanized as Akira Toriyama. His family name is Toriyama, and given name is Akira.
What does Akira Toriyama do for a living?

Toriyama worked as a manga writer, artist, and character designer for video games, as well as an animator and costume designer on various projects.
What nationality is Akira Toriyama?

Toriyama was Japanese, holding citizenship and speaking Japanese as his native language.
What language does Akira Toriyama speak?

Japanese was his native language, and he wrote all his manga originally in Japanese.
Who is Akira Toriyama married to?

Toriyama married Yoshimi Kato, a former manga artist, in 1982 and they had two children together.
Where did Akira Toriyama go to school?

He attended Okoshi Technical High School, which focused on teaching creative design. He did not pursue a college education.
What awards has Akira Toriyama won?

He won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 for Dr. Slump. He also received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from France in 2019.
How tall was Akira Toriyama?

Toriyama stood 5 feet 9 inches 1.74 meters, according to his official biography.
What is Akira Toriyama known for?

Toriyama created the manga series Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, and co-created the Dragon Quest video game series, also designing characters for Chrono Trigger.
Was Akira Toriyama married?

Yes, he married Yoshimi Kato in 1982 and remained married until his death on March 1, 2024. She is a retired manga artist.
Did Akira Toriyama have children?

Yes, he and his wife Yoshimi Kato had two adult children. Their names have not been widely publicized.
What inspired Akira Toriyama to become a manga artist?

The animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians 1961 and the manga Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka inspired Toriyama. He also enjoyed tokusatsu series like Ultraman and kaiju films such as Gamera.
What was Akira Toriyama's first published work?

Toriyama’s first published work was the one-shot manga Wonder Island in 1978. It featured a kamikaze pilot stranded on an island and came last in a popularity contest.
What is Dr. Slump about?

Dr. Slump is a science fiction comedy manga about Arale Norimaki, a superpowered robot girl. The series ran from 1980 to 1984 and includes a parody superhero named Suppaman.
What is Dragon Ball about?

Dragon Ball follows the adventures of martial artist Son Goku from childhood to adulthood. The series blends martial arts, fantasy, and science fiction, and includes iconic characters like Vegeta and Frieza.
How many chapters did Dragon Ball have?

The Dragon Ball manga had 519 chapters, collected into 42 volumes. It ran from 1984 to 1995.
What anime series are based on Dragon Ball?

Four anime series were adapted: Dragon Ball 1986-1989, Dragon Ball Z 1989-1996, Dragon Ball GT 1996-1997, and Dragon Ball Super 2015-2018.
Did Akira Toriyama work on the Dragon Ball anime?

He provided character designs for the anime adaptations, including Dragon Ball GT and the films. He also wrote the screenplay for Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F 2015 and contributed to later films.
What video games did Akira Toriyama design for?

He designed characters for the Dragon Quest series starting in 1986, as well as Chrono Trigger 1995, Tobal No. 1 1996, and Blue Dragon 2006.
What is the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres?

The Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres is a French order of merit awarded to writers and artists. Toriyama received this honor in 2019 for his contributions to manga and animation.
Did Akira Toriyama have any fears?

Yes, he had a fear of mice. According to trivia, he would not go to work if there was a mouse infestation at his studio.
Was Akira Toriyama a motorcycle collector?

Yes, Toriyama was an avid motorcycle collector, a passion he inherited from his father.
What was Akira Toriyama's studio name?

He founded his own studio called Bird Studio. The name is a pun on his surname, as tori means bird in Japanese.
Did Akira Toriyama collaborate with other manga artists?

Yes, in 2006 he collaborated with Eiichiro Oda on the crossover story Cross Epoch, combining characters from Dragon Ball and One Piece.
What was Akira Toriyama's role in the live-action Dragonball Evolution?

Toriyama served as creative consultant and executive producer for the 2009 film. He reportedly found the script bland but his suggestions were ignored; the film was a commercial flop.
Did Akira Toriyama create any one-shot manga?

Yes, he created many one-shots throughout his career, including Wonder Island, Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe, Dragon Boy, Cowa!, Kajika, and Sand Land.
What is Sand Land?

Sand Land is a manga series by Toriyama published in 2000. It is set in a desert world and follows a demon prince and a sheriff searching for water.
Did Akira Toriyama design a car?

In 2005, he served as the main designer of an electric car for CQ Motors. Only nine vehicles were produced, and it was not a commercial success.
What was Akira Toriyama's involvement in Dragon Ball Super?

He provided the original story and scripts for the manga Dragon Ball Super, which began in 2015. Toyotarou did the artwork.
How many volumes of Dragon Ball Super were published?

As of 2022, 18 volumes of the Dragon Ball Super manga had been published, covering 2016 to 2022.
What was Akira Toriyama's favorite film series?

Toriyama was a fan of the kaiju film series Gamera, which features a giant fire-breathing turtle and influenced his love of monster designs.
Did Akira Toriyama have any children named in the media?

The source record states he has two adult children but does not name them.
What was Akira Toriyama's height?

Toriyama’s height was 5 feet 9 inches 1.74 meters, according to his official biography.
Why did Akira Toriyama quit his advertising job?

He was repeatedly reprimanded for dressing casually at work and became increasingly fed up with the job. He quit at age 23 to pursue a career in manga.
How did Akira Toriyama start his manga career?

After quitting his job, Toriyama submitted a parody of Star Wars to a magazine contest, which was rejected. Editor Kazuhiko Torishima liked his art and encouraged him to submit original work, leading to his debut with Wonder Island in 1978.
What was Akira Toriyama's first success?

Dr. Slump was Toriyama’s first success, becoming a best-selling series and winning the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981. It also had an anime adaptation from 1981 to 1986.
Did Akira Toriyama work on the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film?

Yes, Toriyama was part of the film crew for Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods 2013, the first theatrical Dragon Ball film since 1996.
What is the Dragon Ball manga's total volume count?

The original Dragon Ball manga has 42 collected volumes. Combined with Dragon Ball Super 18 volumes as of 2022 and others, the total exceeds 60 volumes.
Did Akira Toriyama create any original animated works?

Yes, he wrote the initial concept and co-wrote the screenplay for the animated film Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island 1988, and designed all its characters.
What was Akira Toriyama's contribution to Dragon Ball GT?

Toriyama was hired as a character designer for the anime Dragon Ball GT 1996-1997, conceived as a sequel to the original series.
How did Akira Toriyama feel about his own success?

He never took his series too seriously and often made up storylines on the spot. Reclusive, he rarely gave interviews.
What was Akira Toriyama's educational background?

He attended Okoshi Technical High School, which emphasized creative design. He did not attend college, against his parents’ wishes.
Is Akira Toriyama considered a pioneer in manga?

Yes, his works, especially Dragon Ball, helped popularize Japanese manga and anime worldwide, influencing many later creators.
What was Akira Toriyama's net worth?

The source record does not provide net worth information.
Did Akira Toriyama have any pets?

The source does not mention any pets.
What was Akira Toriyama's favorite hobby?

Toriyama was an avid motorcycle collector, a hobby inherited from his father.
Did Akira Toriyama ever visit the United States?

Yes, in 2002 he made a promotional visit to the United States for the reprint of his works in the American magazine Shonen Jump.
What was the crossover story Cross Epoch?

Cross Epoch is a one-shot manga published in 2006, co-created with Eiichiro Oda, featuring characters from Dragon Ball and One Piece in a shared world.

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Audited & updated by

Michael is the last person to read a profile before it goes live, which makes him the one who catches what everyone else missed. 5 years as a copy editor has given him a sharp sense for what's off. A wrong year, a vague credit, a sentence that almost makes sense but doesn't quite. He's especially thorough with filmographies. He'll tell you that's where most of the errors hide. He's right.

Published on October 11, 2026

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