Photo: Selbymay / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Katsuhiro Otomo was born on April 14, 1954 in Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan and is credited as a screenwriter, film director and animator. That puts Katsuhiro Otomo at 72 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Miyagi Prefectural Sanuma Senior High School. Awards on record include Nihon SF Taisho Award (1983), Medal with Purple Ribbon (2013), Grand prix de la ville d'Angoulême (2015) and 4 more. Notable works include Domu: A Child's Dream and Akira.
My Take
Katsuhiro Otomo is, for me, one of the most important visual artists Japan has produced. Akira did not just succeed, it reset what manga and anime could aspire to, in both ambition and craft. His obsessive detail, those crumbling cityscapes and the kinetic dread of Domu, expanded the entire vocabulary of the medium. The stack of honors, from the Nihon SF Taisho to Angouleme's Grand Prix and the Eisner Hall of Fame, only confirms what the work itself screams. I never tire of studying his linework. He is a rare creator who genuinely moved an art form forward.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Katsuhiro Otomo
- Name (Japanese)
- 大友克洋
- Reading
- おおとも かつひろ
- Born
- April 14, 1954 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Horse
- Origin
- Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- screenwriter / film director / animator / mangaka / writer
2. Background
- High school
- Miyagi Prefectural Sanuma Senior High School
Awards & achievements
- 1983 Nihon SF Taisho Award
- 2013 Medal with Purple Ribbon
- 2015 Grand prix de la ville d'Angoulême
- Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- 1982 Seiun Award for Best Comic
- 1984 Seiun Award for Best Comic
- 2013 Winsor McCay Award
- 2012 Will Eisner Hall of Fame
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Domu: A Child's Dream | — | |
| Notable work | Akira | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuhiro%20Otomo
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E5%8F%8B%E5%85%8B%E6%B4%8B
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q378710
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-20
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.
Frequently asked questions
When was Katsuhiro Otomo born?
Born April 14, 1954 (age 72).
Where is Katsuhiro Otomo from?
Katsuhiro Otomo is from Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
What does Katsuhiro Otomo do?
Katsuhiro Otomo works as screenwriter, film director, animator, mangaka, writer.
What is Katsuhiro Otomo known for?
Notable works include Domu: A Child's Dream, Akira.
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