Photo: monoprixgourmet / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Okay, I have to talk about the elephant in the room first: this man does not age. Hirohiko Araki has been drawing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure since 1987, and somewhere along the way he apparently struck a deal with whatever cosmic force keeps Dorian Gray looking fresh. But the no-aging meme almost undersells him. What I love is how relentlessly his art keeps mutating, fashion-magazine poses, those gorgeous painted colors, the whole "JoJo pose" language he basically invented and then dared the rest of manga to catch up. A guy whose loves include Prince and horror movies, who trains and obsesses over panel composition for decades, and still walks off with a government arts prize? That's not a normal mangaka. That's a Stand user. Genuinely lucky to be reading him in real time.
Story
The Man Who Doesn't Age: Hirohiko Araki and the Invention of JoJo
Overview
Hirohiko Araki (real name Toshiyuki Araki) is a Japanese manga artist born on June 7, 1960, in Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. He made his debut in 1980 in Weekly Shonen Jump after receiving a semi-finalist distinction in the 20th Tezuka Award for his one-shot "Busou Poker." He is best known for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a long-running series he began in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1987 that has continued across multiple parts, earning him the 17th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Excellence Award for Manga in 2013 and the 69th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize in 2019.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hirohiko Araki
- Name (Japanese)
- 荒木利之
- Reading
- あらきとしゆき
- Born
- June 7, 1960 (age 66)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Rat
- Origin
- Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Blood type
- B
- Height
- 169.5 cm
- Agency
- Shueisha (Ultra Jump serialization)
- Agency history
- Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha), c. 1980–2004
- Active years
- 1980–present
- Occupation
- Manga artist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Sendai Municipal Komatsushima Elementary School
- Junior high
- Sendai Municipal Daihara Junior High School
- High school
- Tohoku Gakuin Tsutsujigaoka High School
- University
- Graduated from Sendai Design College; withdrew from Miyagi University of Education
- Debut
- 1980 — Semi-finalist in the 20th Tezuka Award with "Busou Poker," debuting in Weekly Shonen Jump
Awards & achievements
- 1980 20th Tezuka Award — Semi-Finalist (Busou Poker)
- 2006 Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts 100 Selection — Manga Division 2nd Place (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- 2012 3rd Magazine Grand Prix — Grand Prize (SPUR October 2011 cover)
- 2013 17th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival — Excellence Award, Manga Division (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: Jojolion)
- 2019 69th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize — Media Arts Division
Timeline
- 1960Born in Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
- 1980Semi-finalist in the 20th Tezuka Award with "Busou Poker"; debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump
- 1983Began serialization of Majin Beast Beety (Mashonen B.T.) in Weekly Shonen Jump
- 1984Began serialization of Baoh the Visitor
- 1987Began serialization of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure in Weekly Shonen Jump
- 2004Moved serialization from Weekly Shonen Jump to Ultra Jump
- 2011Began serialization of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: Jojolion
- 2019Received the 69th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize (Media Arts Division)
- 2021JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: Jojolion concluded
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Married (details private)
- Children
- Two daughters (details private)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Drawing
- Training (fitness and health management)
- Listening to Western music
Specialties
- Manga creation
- Distinctive poses and fashion illustration
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manga | Busou Poker | Author | 1980 |
| Manga | Majin Beast Beety (Mashonen B.T.) | Author | 1983 |
| Manga | Baoh the Visitor | Author | 1984 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood | Author | 1987 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency | Author | 1987 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders | Author | 1989 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable | Author | 1992 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind | Author | 1995 |
| Manga | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: Jojolion | Author | 2011 |
| Book | Araki Hirohiko's Manga Technique (Hirohiko Araki's Manga-jutsu) | Author | 2015 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://jojo-portal.com/
- Xhttps://x.com/araki_jojo
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8D%92%E6%9C%A8%E9%A3%9B%E5%91%82%E5%BD%A6
Frequently asked questions
When was Hirohiko Araki born?
Born June 7, 1960 (age 66).
Where is Hirohiko Araki from?
Hirohiko Araki is from Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
What does Hirohiko Araki do?
Hirohiko Araki works as Manga artist.
How tall is Hirohiko Araki?
Hirohiko Araki is 169.5 cm.
What is Hirohiko Araki's blood type?
B.
What agency is Hirohiko Araki with?
Hirohiko Araki is with Shueisha (Ultra Jump serialization).
How long has Hirohiko Araki been active?
1980–present.
What is Hirohiko Araki known for?
Notable works include Busou Poker, Majin Beast Beety (Mashonen B.T.), Baoh the Visitor.
Manga artist — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.