Manga Creator Go Nagai, Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Inducted Into Order of the Rising Sun

Image via www.ueno-mori.org

© Go Nagai

The Japanese government honored manga creator Gō Nagai (Devilman, Mazinger Z, Cutie Honey, Getter Robo) and Dragon Quest game franchise creator Yūji Horii with the Order of the Rising Sun Award, Gold Rays with Rosette for their significant contributions to the country on Monday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced the two creators among the 3,963 honorees of the annual Autumn Conferment of Decorations.

The ministry will hold a ceremony celebrating the awards on November 11.

Nagai debuted as a manga artist in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi and went on to create many classic and genre-defining works, including Cutie Honey, Devilman, Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Harenchi Gakuen. In recent years, he has continued to pen new spinoffs, such as his ongoing Devilman Saga manga. He has also serialized the autobiographical Gekiman! manga about the creation of his various notable titles.

Horii was born in 1954 in Hyogo, and he won a game programming contest from Enix in 1982. The first Dragon Quest game debuted in 1986. The collective Dragon Quest series has since sold over 83 million units worldwide. The series has become a common cultural touchstone in Japan, with its designs, monsters, and mechanics referenced and parodied in numerous works, and serving as the archetypal role-playing game in Japanese culture. Horii received a commendation from Japan's Commissioner for Cultural Affairs last year.

Composer Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Nausicaä, My Neighbor Totoro) received the same honor last year.

Source: Yomiuri via Hachima Kikō