is a Japanese horror manga artist. Some of his most notable works include Tomie, a series chronicling an immortal girl who drives her stricken admirers to madness; Uzumaki, a three-volume series about a town cursed by spirals; and Gyo, a two-volume story in which fish are controlled by a strain of bacteria called "the death stench." His other works include The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection, a collection of his many short stories, and Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu, a self-parody about him and his wife living in a house with two cats.
Ito's work has developed a substantial cult following, and Ito has been called an iconic horror manga artist. His manga has been adapted to both film and anime television series, including the Tomie film series and both the Junji Ito Collection and Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre anime anthology series.
Life and career Junji Ito was born on July 31, 1963, in Sakashita, now a part of Nakatsugawa, Gifu. He began his experience in the horror world at a very young age, with his first manga being Mummy Teacher by Kazuo Umezu; his two older sisters read Umezu and Shinichi Koga in magazines, and consequently, he began reading them too. He grew up in the countryside, in a small city next to Nagano. In the house where he lived, the bathroom was at the end of an underground tunnel, where there were spider crickets; such experiences were later reflected in his works.
Ito began to draw manga at the age of 4, taking inspiration from the works he read in magazines. He continued to draw as a hobby until he became a dental technician in 1984, where he struggled to find a balance between the two.
In 1987, he submitted a short story to Monthly Halloween that won an honorable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize (with Umezu himself as one of the judges). This story ran for 13 years and was later serialized as Tomie.Urasawa Naoki no Manben: Itō Junji (S4E2, 2017), NHK Educational TV
Ito drew the cover of Mucc's 2002 album Hōmura Uta. He collaborated with the band again in 2020, for the cover of their made-to-order single "Shōfu 2020". Ito teamed up with Takashi Nagasaki and former diplomat Masaru Sato to create Yūkoku no Rasputin (2010–2012), based on Sato's personal experiences in Russia, for Big Comic.
Film director Guillermo del Toro cited on his official Twitter account that Ito was originally a collaborator for the video game Silent Hills, of which both Del Toro and game designer Hideo Kojima were the main directors. However, a year after its announcement, the project was canceled by Konami, the IP's owner. Ito and Del Toro would later lend their likenesses to Kojima's next project, Death Stranding.
Awards Ito's work Uzumaki was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2003 and 2009.
In 2019, Ito received his first Eisner Award for his manga adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for "Best Adaptation from Another Medium."
In 2021, Ito received two more Eisner Awards for his works Remina and Venus in the Blind Spot, receiving "Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia" and "Best Writer/Artist."
The following year, Ito received another Eisner Award for his work Lovesickness, receiving "Best U.S. Edition of International Material - Asia" for the third time and his fourth Eisner Award."
In 2023, Ito was awarded the Inkpot Award during the annual San Diego Comic-Con.2023 Inkpot Award Recipients
Personal life In 2006, Ito married Ayako Ishiguro (石黒亜矢子), a picture book artist. As of 2025, they have two daughters.
Inspiration and themes
Other artists In addition to Kazuo Umezu, and Shigeru Mizuki, Ito has cited Hideshi Hino, Shinichi Koga, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Edogawa Ranpo and H. P. Lovecraft as being major influences on his work. Ito has stated that Umezu has inspired his storytelling, and Hino has inspired his ability in creating a mood for a work. He has also stated that he admires Guillermo del Toro's work. Junji Ito has recommended the manga of Noroi Michiru, stating "I'm always blown away by Noroi Michiru's talent of depicting terror!"
A connection between Lovecraft's work and the spirals of Uzumaki has been placed before, as well as a common theme of cosmic horror.Israelson, Per. "The Vortex of the Weird: Systemic Feedback and Environmental Individuation in the Media Ecology of Ito Junji's Horror Comics." Orientaliska Studier, no. 156, 2018, pp. 151–175.
Ito has also cited H. R. Giger, Salvador Dalí, and others as influences on his work as well.
Childhood Ito has been inspired by horror since childhood, with his first manga being written about a protagonist with an eye in the middle of his hand, attacking him; this was heavily influenced by Shigeru Mizuki's Kappa no Sanpei. Ito was inspired by the horror films of the 20th century (such as Dracula and Frankenstein), as well as period dramas of ghosts. He has also found inspiration from Rakugo storytellers who tell Kaiden ghost stories, incorporating it into No Longer Human.Ivanchenko, Tatiana. "Body Horror in Japanese Media: Manga." University of Tyumen, 2020.
Tomie was inspired by the death of one of his classmates. Ito felt strange that a boy he knew suddenly disappeared from the world, and he kept expecting the boy to show up again; from this came the idea of a girl who is supposed to have died but then just shows up as if nothing had happened. Gyo was influenced by the shark attack scenes from Jaws. The Hanging Balloons was based on a childhood dream. Long Dream was inspired by his sister mentioning research of dreams being instantaneous, and Slug Girl was inspired by Ito moving his tongue around in the mirror and finding that it resembled a slug.
Academics Ito studied and graduated from a vocational school with a degree in Dental Technology before working as a dental technician, where he worked for 3 years until he became a full-time mangaka.Ember, Diana-Nathalie, and Georgiana Lavinia Tar. "Junji Ito's Contemporary Visual Adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A Comparative Study." Lingua. Language and Culture, no. 2, 2021, pp. 247–259. Ito found anatomical interest in the books for the medical students, which he used to study muscles. He is also cited stating the schooling gave him more inspiration for his tools in drawing, namely pens and how to whittle pencils with the same method as dentures.
Themes Ito's work consists of many subgenres of horror, mainly being host to the subgenres of body horror and cosmic horror. Much of his work is based solely in them, with other themes including a relationship of predator to prey, a loss of humanity, apocalyptic scenarios, and obsession being common.Thacker, Eugene. "Black Illumination: the Unhuman World of Junji Ito." The Japan Times, 30 Jan. 2016. The universe Ito depicts is cruel and capricious; his characters often find themselves victims of malevolent unnatural circumstances for no discernible reason or punished out of proportion for minor infractions against an unknown and incomprehensible natural order. He takes inspiration from his own fears as well, including death, war, insects, and being watched.
Ito has been cited saying that he draws the manifestation of the mind becoming reality, represented in body horror.
Works
Manga
Volume 1 and 2: Tomie (富江) (does not include Tomie: Again) Volume 3: Flesh-Colored Horror (肉色の怪) (collection of six one-shots) Collects: The Long Hair in the Attic, Approval, Beehive, Dying Young, Headless Sculptures, and Flesh-Colored Horror Volume 4: The Face Burglar (顔泥棒) (collection of five one-shots) Collects: The Face Burglar, Scarecrow, Falling, Red String, Honored Ancestors, and The Hanging Balloons Volume 5: Souichi's Diary of Delights (双一の楽しい日記) (collection of six one-shots) A collection of one-shots featuring Junji Ito's character, Souichi Collects: Fun Summer Vacation, Fun Winter Vacation, Souichi's Diary of Delights, Souichi's Home Tutor, Mannequin Teacher, and Souichi's Birthday Volume 6: Souichi's Diary of Curses (双一の呪いの日記) (collection of five one-shots) Sequel collection continuing the Souichi storyline after Souchi's Diary of Delights Collects: Souichi's Selfish Curse, The Room With Four Walls, Coffin, Rumors, and Fashion Model Volume 7: Slug Girl (なめくじ少女) (collection of seven one-shots) Collects: Slug Girl, The Thing That Drifted Ashore, Mold, Shiver, The Inn, Groaning Drain Pipes, and Bio House Volume 8: Blood-Bubble Bushes (血玉樹) (collection of seven one-shots) Collects: Blood-Bubble Bushes, Unendurable Labyrinth, The Reanimator's Sword, The Will, The Bridge, The Devil's Logic, and The Conversation Room Volume 9: Hallucinations (首幻想) (collection of six one-shots) Hallucinations stories take place in different dimensions, but share the theme of the titular character/s Oshikiri and the interdimensional portal that exists in his/their house Collects: Hallucinations, Bog of the Living Dead, Pen Pal, Intruder, The Strange Tale of Oshikiri, and The Strange Tale of Oshikiri: The Walls Volume 10: Marionette Mansion (あやつり屋敷) (collection of seven one-shots) Collects: Ice Cream Bus, Gang House, The Smoking Club, Used Record, Where the Sandman Lives, The Gift Bearer, and Marionette Mansion Volume 11: The Town Without Streets (道のない街) (collection of five one-shots) Collects: The Town Without Streets, Near Miss!, Maptown, Village of the Siren, and The Supernatural Transfer Student Volume 12: The Bully (いじめっ娘) (collection of seven one-shots) Collects: The Bully, Deserter, A Father's Love, Memory, The Back Alley, Scripted Love, and In The Soil Volume 13: The Circus is Here (サーカスが来た) (collection of five one-shots) Collects: The Circus is Here, Gravetown, The Adjacent Window, two The Bizarre Hikizuri Siblings stories The Second Daughter's Lover and The Seance Volume 14: The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel (トンネル奇譚) (collection of five one-shots) Collects: The Long Dream, The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel, Bronze Statue, Drifting Spores, and Blood Sickness of the White Sands Village Volume 15: Lovesick Dead (死びとの恋わずらい) (five chapters over one volume) Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but... Volume 16: Frankenstein (フランケンシュタイン) Junji Ito's manga adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Includes two bonus stories: The Hell of Doll Funeral, and Memories of Real Poop
Volume 1 and 2: Tomie (富江) (Volume 2 includes Tomie: Again) Volume 3: The Long Hair in the Attic (屋根裏の長い髪) (collection of 12 one-shots) Collects: Bio House, Face Thief, Where the Sandman Lives, The Devil's Logic, The Long Hair in the Attic, Scripted Love, The Reanimator's Sword, A Father's Love, Unendurable Labyrinth, Village of the Siren, Bullied, and Deserter Volume 4: Scarecrow (案山子) (collections of 12 one-shots) Collects: Red String, Used Record, The Gift Bearer, The Bridge, The Circus is Here, Beehive, Maptown, Headless Sculptures, Dying Young, Shiver, Scarecrow, and The Will Volume 5: The Back Alley (路地裏) (collection of 11 one-shots) Collects: The Back Alley, Fashion Model, Falling, The Conversation Room, The Inn, Approval, The Smoking Club, Mold, The Town Without Streets, Memory, and Ice Cream Bus Volume 6: Soichi's Selfish Curse (双一の勝手な呪い) (collection of ten one-shots) Reprints The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection Volumes 5 and 6 (Souichi's Diary of Delights and Souichi's Diary of Curses, respectively), excluding Fashion Model Volume 7: Groaning Drain Pipes (うめく配水管) (collection of eight one-shots) Collects: The Supernatural Transfer Student, Groaning Drain Pipes, Blood-Bubble Bushes, The Hanging Balloons, Marionette Mansion, Flesh-Colored Horror, Near Miss!, and In the Soil Volume 8: Blood Sickness of the White Sands Village (白砂村血譚) (collection of 11 one-shots)