Osamu Tezuka.

手塚治虫手塚治

Osamu Tezuka — Animator

Born 3 Nov 1928 Toyonaka, Japan

Died 9 Feb 1989 Tokyo, Japan

Citizenship Japan

Would Be 97 yr If Living

9 min read

Reading time

1,759

Words

May 23, 2026

Published

8

Film credits

55

Books

10

Awards

TL;DR

Often called the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka created Astro Boy in 1952 and produced over 170,000 pages. His first color anime Kimba the White Lion aired in 1965. He died of stomach cancer on February 9, 1989. His works influenced artists including Shotaro Ishinomori and Go Nagai.

Identity & family.

KIN · 4

Names, aliases, and relatives of Osamu Tezuka — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name 手塚治

Native Name 手塚治虫

Aliases Tezuka Osamu, Osam Tezka

Parents: Yutaka Tezuka
Spouses: Etsuko Okada
Children: Makoto Tezuka Rumiko Tezuka

At a glance.

STATS

Osamu Tezuka by the numbers — life, work, and family.

60 Years lived

8 Film credits

55 Books

10 Awards

1 Marriage

2 Children

Who was Osamu Tezuka?

BIOGRAPHY

Osamu Tezuka — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

At age five, Osamu Tezuka moved to Kohama village in Hyogo prefecture, where his mother’s storytelling and his father’s movie collection sparked his imagination. He drew his first comic, Bin Bin Namachan, in third grade and later studied insects, adopting the pen name Osamushi from a beetle.

Despite bullying in school due to his small stature, he nurtured his artistic skills. He entered Osaka University’s medical division in 1945, but his love for manga led him to make his professional debut in 1946 with Maachan no nikki-cho.

Career

In 1950, Osamu Tezuka began serializing Jungle Taitei in Manga Shonen. After graduating from Osaka University in 1951, he launched Tetsuwan Atom Astro Boy in 1952, which became a cultural phenomenon. In 1961, he founded his own animation studio, and on January 1, 1963, the animated Astro Boy premiered on Fuji TV, later airing in the US via NBC.

He followed with the first color anime Kimba the White Lion in 1965. Despite studio issues in the 1970s, he continued producing prolifically, creating over 700 stories.

Personal life

In 1959, Osamu Tezuka married Etsuko Okada. They had two children: Makoto and Rumiko. He was an avid baseball fan and loved insects, once keeping a ground beetle named Osamushi that inspired his pen name. He also enjoyed piano and was a member of his university’s acting club.

His mother influenced his career choice: when torn between medicine and manga, she advised him to work doing what he liked most. He chose to become a full-time manga artist.

Legacy

Osamu Tezuka passed away on February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer. He is remembered as the founding father of modern manga and anime. His works have influenced artists, including Shotaro Ishinomori and Go Nagai. In 2002, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. The controversy over Disney’s The Lion King allegedly being inspired by Kimba the White Lion underscores his global impact. He remains the most prolific manga artist, with over 170,000 pages to his credit.

Filmography.

FILMS · 8

The complete filmography of Osamu Tezuka — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

Naoki Urasawa's Manben Neo

2020
TV

Vampires

1968
Movie

Monster Heaven

1986
Movie

Animation Maestro Gisaburo

2012
Movie

Osamu and Musashi

1994
Movie

Osamu Tezuka: Secrets of Creation

1985
Movie

Manga World

2005
Movie

Brave Fire S09

1987

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 10

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

Inkpot Award
Iwaya Sazanami Award
Asahi Prize
Order of the Sacred Treasure
Shogakukan Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
Eisner Award
Winsor McCay Award
Will Eisner Hall of Fame
Best foreign work published in Spain

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 55

Osamu Tezuka's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Astro Boy

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Hi No Tori

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Black Jack

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Budda

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Adorofo Ni Tsugu

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Buddha, Volume 7

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Buddha: Volume 8

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Metropolis

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Adolf, Volume 3

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Adolf, Volume 4

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Ode to Kirihito

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Astro Boy, Vol. 16

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Phoenix, Volume 2

by Osamu Tezuka
Amazon

Buddha, Volume 1

by Osamu Tezuka

Showing 14 of 55 View all 55 books

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 8

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

My Teacher Said Once That Every Man Faces Seven Enemies in His Lifetime. Sickness, Hunger, Betrayal, Envy, Greed, Old Age, and Then Death.
Coincidence Doesn’t Happen a Third Time.
What Is One Man’s Life Compared to the Eternity of Time and Space? No More Than a Snowflake That Glitters in the Sun for a Moment Before Melting into the Flow of Time.
I’m Still Living in My Post War.
Where There Is Ignorance, Sickness Will Thrive.
A Life Must Be Saved as Long as It Can Be No Matter Whose It Is.
Comics Are an International Language, They Can Cross Boundaries and Generations. Comics Are a Bridge Between All Cultures.
Manga Is Virtual. Manga Is Sentiment. Manga Is Resistance. Manga Is Bizarre. Manga Is Pathos. Manga Is Destruction. Manga Is Arrogance. Manga Is Love. Manga Is Kitsch. Manga Is Sense of Wonder. Manga Is … There Is No Conclusion Yet.

Did you know?

FACTS · 22

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

Stanley Kubrick reached out to Tezuka in January 1965, inviting him to be art director for 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Tezuka declined due to studio commitments and could not leave for a year. He later loved the film and played its soundtrack loudly to stay awake during long nights of work.
Tezuka is a descendant of Hattori Hanzo, a famous ninja and samurai.
As a child, Tezuka’s arms swelled and he was treated by a doctor, inspiring him to become a physician. He earned a medical degree from Osaka University but chose manga after his mother advised him to pursue his passion.
Tezuka faced accusations of racism for stereotypical depictions of black characters, but he insisted he was continuing styles from American comics. Dark Horse published his works unedited in the US with a disclaimer about the product of its time.
During the US occupation after WWII, Tezuka sold pin-up drawings of women to US troops in exchange for military rations.
Tezuka cited Walt Disney and the 1930 graphic novel He Done Her Wrong as major influences on his work.
An avid baseball fan, Tezuka licensed the grown-up version of Kimba the White Lion as the logo for the Seibu Lions of Japan’s professional league.
Tezuka enjoyed making cameo appearances in his own manga.
He was a fan of Superman and was made honorary chairman of the Superman Fan Club in Japan on October 6, 1983.
Tezuka realized he could use manga to encourage people to care for the world.
He graduated from Nara Medical University in 1960 with a dissertation on the membrane structure of sea nails.
Over-zealous Japanese fans called him the god of Japanese comics during his lifetime.
As a child, Tezuka kept a ground beetle named Osamushi, which later became his pen name.
Growing up in Takarazuka City, his mother often took him to the Takarazuka Theatre, an all-female revue, which influenced his costume designs and romantic storytelling.
His mother comforted him by telling him to look to the blue skies, giving him confidence.
Tezuka mentored many known cartoonists, including Shotaro Ishinomori and Go Nagai.
He drew as many as ten pages of artwork in a single day.
His childhood nickname was gashagasha-atama, meaning messy head.
He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame in 2002.
The Disney film The Lion King 1994 came under controversy for allegedly being inspired by Tezuka’s tale Kimba the White Lion about a young lion who grows into a mature ruler.
Tezuka’s hobbies included bug collecting, entomology, Walt Disney, and baseball.
Despite being agnostic during his lifetime, his urn was buried at Souzen-ji Buddhist Temple Cemetery after a direct cremation service at Tama/Nikka Funeral Home.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Osamu Tezuka.

When was Osamu Tezuka born?

Osamu Tezuka was born on November 3, 1928.
Where was Osamu Tezuka born?

He was born in Toyonaka, Japan. His family moved to Kohama village in Hyogo prefecture when he was five.
When did Osamu Tezuka die?

Osamu Tezuka died on February 9, 1989 from stomach cancer, which had been diagnosed in 1988.
How old was Osamu Tezuka when he died?

He was 60 years old when he died on February 9, 1989.
Where did Osamu Tezuka die?

He died in Tokyo, Japan. His body was cremated and buried at Souzen-ji Buddhist Temple Cemetery.
How did Osamu Tezuka die?

He died of stomach cancer. He underwent surgery in 1988 but his physician did not reveal the terminal diagnosis.
What is Osamu Tezuka's real name?

His birth name is 手塚治, which in Japanese reads as Tezuka Osamu. He adopted the pen name Osamushi from a beetle.
What is Osamu Tezuka's name in Japanese?

In Japanese, his name is written as 手塚治虫. This is the rendering used for his professional works.
What did Osamu Tezuka do for a living?

He was a writer, director, and animator. He is best known as a manga artist and the pioneer of modern anime.
What nationality was Osamu Tezuka?

He was Japanese. He held citizenship in Japan and his native language was Japanese.
What language did Osamu Tezuka speak?

His native language was Japanese. Some of his works have been translated into many languages worldwide.
Who were Osamu Tezuka's parents?

His father was Yutaka Tezuka. His mother was Fumiko Tezuka, who encouraged his love for stories and art.
Who was Osamu Tezuka married to?

He married Etsuko Okada in 1959. Together they had two children, Makoto and Rumiko.
Did Osamu Tezuka have children?

Yes, he had two children: Makoto Tezuka and Rumiko Tezuka. Makoto also became a filmmaker.
Where did Osamu Tezuka go to school?

He attended Ikeda Elementary School, Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School, Osaka University, and Nara Medical University. He graduated with a medical degree in 1960.
What awards did Osamu Tezuka win?

He won many awards including the Inkpot Award, Asahi Prize, Shogakukan Manga Award, Kodansha Manga Award, Eisner Award, and was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in 2002.
How many awards did Osamu Tezuka win?

He received at least ten major awards. These include the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Winsor McCay Award.
How tall was Osamu Tezuka?

He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, which is about 1.77 meters.
What aliases did Osamu Tezuka use?

His aliases include Tezuka Osamu and Osam Tezka. His most famous pen name, Osamushi, came from a beetle he kept as a child.
What was Osamu Tezuka's pen name?

He used the pen name Osamushi, derived from a ground beetle he owned as a child. This later became part of his professional identity.
Who inspired Osamu Tezuka to become a manga artist?

His mother encouraged him to choose a career he loved, and his father’s collection of comics and movies provided early inspiration. Walt Disney and the graphic novel He Done Her Wrong were also major influences.
What was Osamu Tezuka's first manga?

He drew his first comic, Bin Bin Namachan, in third grade. His professional debut was Maachan no nikki-cho in 1946.
How many pages did Osamu Tezuka draw?

He created over 170,000 pages of manga across more than 700 stories. He was known to draw up to ten pages in a single day.
What is Osamu Tezuka's most famous creation?

His most famous creation is Astro Boy Tetsuwan Atom, which debuted in 1952 and became an anime in 1963. Kimba the White Lion is also widely recognized.
Did Osamu Tezuka ever work with Stanley Kubrick?

Kubrick invited Tezuka to be art director for 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1965, but Tezuka declined because he could not leave his studio for a year.
What was the controversy about The Lion King and Kimba the White Lion?

Disney’s The Lion King 1994 faced controversy over alleged similarities to Tezuka’s Kimba the White Lion. Tezuka’s story about a young lion king predates the film by decades.
What was Osamu Tezuka's favorite hobby?

He loved bug collecting and entomology. He also enjoyed baseball and was a fan of Walt Disney.
Did Osamu Tezuka have a medical degree?

Yes, he graduated from Osaka University and later from Nara Medical University in 1960. However, he chose to pursue manga full-time after his mother’s advice.
What advice did Osamu Tezuka's mother give him?

When he was torn between medicine and manga, she told him to work doing the thing he liked most of all. He then became a full-time manga artist.
Was Osamu Tezuka religious?

He was agnostic during his lifetime. After his death, his urn was buried at Souzen-ji Buddhist Temple Cemetery.

View all 30 questions View fewer questions

Audited & updated by

Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on May 23, 2026

Report an issue

If something on this page looks off, we genuinely want to know about it. Send us a quick email with the celebrity's name, the detail that seems incorrect, and any sources you're referencing. We review every report and update the page as soon as we can.

Report an issue