Masako Watanabe
mangaka · artist
- May 16, 1929 · Tokyo
- October 3, 2026
- 97 years
About Masako Watanabe
Masako Watanabe, 97, Japanese manga artist.
Explore other notable deaths in 2026 or deaths in October 2026.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Masako Watanabe?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Masako Watanabe (わたなべまさこ, Watanabe Masako) (16 May 1929 – 3 October 2026) was a Japanese manga artist. She began her professional career as an illustrator of books in 1949. She switched to creating manga after reading Osamu Tezuka's works, debuting in 1952 with Namida no Sanbika. She quickly became the most popular female manga artist of her time.
Career
Watanabe was noted in the 1960s for using pastel colors instead of the bright primary colors common at the time, and for pioneering both shōjo (written for teenage girls) horror stories with Blue Foxfire and shōjo mystery stories with Glass no Shiro (Glass Castle). In 1971, she received the Shogakukan Manga Award for Glass no Shiro and Sei Rosalindo. In the 1980s, she turned from shōjo to sexually explicit redisu-josei (written for adult women) with such series as Kinpeibai, which is based on a 19th-century Chinese erotic novel.
Death
Watanabe died on 3 October 2026, at the age of 97.
Works
- Namida no Sanbika
- Blue FoxFire
- The Glass Castle
- The Girl of the White Horse
- Saint Rosalind
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Masako Watanabe on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masako_Watanabe
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oct 13, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 13, 2026
- Oct 13, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Masako Watanabe's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Masako Watanabe born?
- A.Osaka
- B.Tokyocorrect
- C.Nagoya
- D.Kyoto
Masako Watanabe was born in Tokyo, Japan, on 16 May 1929.
Source: Biography introduction
2.In what year was Masako Watanabe born?
- A.1919
- B.1939
- C.1949
- D.1929correct
Masako Watanabe was born on 16 May 1929.
Source: Biography introduction
3.What was the first profession of Masako Watanabe in 1949?
- A.Art teacher
- B.Manga artist
- C.Novel writer
- D.Book illustratorcorrect
Masako Watanabe began her professional career as an illustrator of books in 1949.
Source: Biography introduction
4.What inspired Masako Watanabe to switch from book illustration to creating manga?
- A.A professional apprenticeship
- B.Advice from her parents
- C.Reading works by Osamu Tezukacorrect
- D.A contest in Tokyo
Masako Watanabe switched to creating manga after reading Osamu Tezuka's works.
Source: Biography introduction
5.What was the title of Masako Watanabe's manga debut in 1952?
- A.Glass no Shiro
- B.Blue Foxfire
- C.Namida no Sanbikacorrect
- D.Sei Rosalindo
Masako Watanabe debuted in 1952 with Namida no Sanbika.
Source: Biography introduction
6.For what artistic stylistic choice was Masako Watanabe noted in the 1960s?
- A.Using neon lighting
- B.Using charcoal sketches
- C.Using digital coloring
- D.Using pastel colorscorrect
Masako Watanabe was noted in the 1960s for using pastel colors instead of the bright primary colors common at the time.
Source: Career section
7.Which shōjo horror story did Masako Watanabe pioneer?
- A.Blue Foxfirecorrect
- B.Sei Rosalindo
- C.Kinpeibai
- D.Namida no Sanbika
Masako Watanabe pioneered shōjo horror stories with the work Blue Foxfire.
Source: Career section
8.Which manga series by Masako Watanabe is recognized as a shōjo mystery story?
- A.Blue Foxfire
- B.Kinpeibai
- C.Namida no Sanbika
- D.Glass no Shirocorrect
Masako Watanabe pioneered shōjo mystery stories with Glass no Shiro.
Source: Career section
9.In what year did Masako Watanabe receive the Shogakukan Manga Award?
- A.1989
- B.1960
- C.1971correct
- D.1952
In 1971, Masako Watanabe received the Shogakukan Manga Award.
Source: Career section
10.For which works did Masako Watanabe receive the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1971?
- A.Sei Rosalindo and Blue Foxfire
- B.Namida no Sanbika and Glass no Shiro
- C.Glass no Shiro and Sei Rosalindocorrect
- D.Blue Foxfire and Kinpeibai
Masako Watanabe received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1971 for Glass no Shiro and Sei Rosalindo.
Source: Career section
11.During which decade did Masako Watanabe pivot to creating redisu-josei manga?
- A.1970s
- B.1950s
- C.1980scorrect
- D.1960s
In the 1980s, Masako Watanabe turned from shōjo to sexually explicit redisu-josei manga.
Source: Career section
12.What is the source material for Masako Watanabe's series Kinpeibai?
- A.A 17th-century Chinese history book
- B.A 19th-century Chinese erotic novelcorrect
- C.A 19th-century European play
- D.A 16th-century Japanese folk tale
Kinpeibai is based on a 19th-century Chinese erotic novel.
Source: Career section
13.What age was Masako Watanabe when she passed away?
- A.92
- B.97correct
- C.87
- D.102
Masako Watanabe died on 3 October 2026, at the age of 97.
Source: Death section
14.On what date did Masako Watanabe die?
- A.3 October 2026correct
- B.3 October 1929
- C.16 May 2026
- D.16 May 1929
Masako Watanabe died on 3 October 2026.
Source: Death section
15.Which of these is a listed work of Masako Watanabe?
- A.The Secret of the Forest
- B.The Mystery of the Moon
- C.The Girl of the White Horsecorrect
- D.The Tale of the Red Crane
The Girl of the White Horse is explicitly listed as a work by Masako Watanabe.
Source: Works section
16.Which title appears in the list of works by Masako Watanabe?
- A.The Red Fox
- B.Golden Lotus
- C.Saint Rosalindcorrect
- D.Ghost of the Castle
Saint Rosalind is included in the list of works created by Masako Watanabe.
Source: Works section
People who died on October 3
Related People
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Masako Watanabe →Advertisement
