Japan has the world’s third-largest economy, and the anime and manga industries contribute significantly to this. It is not a secret that the anime industry has a market worth of US $25 billion as of 2022.
That’s a large lot of money, and manga artists deserve part of the credit for helping the business thrive. But, how much do they get for performing such remarkable work, and who is the richest manga writer in 2022?
So, in this piece, we’ll dig into this subject and see who the richest manga writer in Japanese industry history is.
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10. George Morikawa
Net Worth: $3 Million
Hajime no Ippo, a boxing-themed sports manga by George Morikawa, is his most well-known work. The manga first made its appearance in the late 1980s and was one of the most influential works by a manga artist at the time.
The story of Hajime no Ippo has been told in over 132 tankbon volumes and is still running. In addition, an anime television series with 76 episodes premiered in 2000, which was eventually translated into two more seasons due to overwhelming public demand.
As of 2020, Hajime no Ippo had sold over 100 million manga copies, which is reflected in Morikawa’s net worth. Morikawa, who has a personal net worth of roughly $3-4 million, has even won the 15th Kodansha Manga Award in the shnen category for his work on Hajime no Ippo.
9. Keisuke Itagaki
Net Worth: $5 Million
Baki The Grappler, a martial arts manga, is well-known for its beautiful moments and brutal fight scenes. It is one of the first Netflix original anime shows and has been renewed through a number of different plot arcs. Keisuke Itagaki is the creator of this comic.
Itagaki’s net worth is reported to be between $5 and $6 million, with manga sales from Baki The Grappler accounting for a sizable portion of his earnings. Baki has sold almost 85 million manga copies as of 2022, including all sequel sales.
The addition of Netflix improved the series’ popularity while also increasing manga sales. Aside from manga and anime adaptations, other video game adaptations are also accessible on the market, adding to Itagaki’s net worth.
8. Yoichi Takahashi
Net Worth: $6 Million
Captain Tsubasa’s manga author is Yoichi Takahashi. Captain Tsubasa was an extremely successful football-themed sports manga in the early 1980s, and it is well recognised for its significant contribution to Japanese football history.
Captain Tsubasa is one of the best-selling manga series, with over 80 million copies sold worldwide. Takahashi is also recognised for his other soccer manga series ‘Hungry Heart: Wild Striker’, in addition to Captain Tsubasa.
He was welcomed as a guest to the football team FC Barcelona in 2016, and he has garnered numerous honours for his outstanding performance in the anime business. Takahashi’s personal net worth is believed to be approximately $6 million.
7. Hirohiko Araki
Net Worth: $13 Million
Hirohiko Araki is a well-known manga artist in Japan, best known for his hit series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Hirohiko’s manga has sold over 100 million copies to date, making it one of the best manga of all time.
The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise consists of nine manga sequels, one-shots, light novels, and video games, bringing Hirohiko’s net worth to roughly $13-15 million.
Since 2005, numerous live-action films and anime adaptations have been created, and the trend is far from ended. Fans adore this show, and it is expected to soar to new heights in the coming years.
6. Masashi Kishimoto
Net Worth: $25 Million
Masashi Kishimoto is a well-known face among anime lovers and one of Japan’s top mangaka and most influential persons. He is the creator of the popular anime series Naruto.
Naruto is the world’s fourth best-selling manga series, with over 250 million copies sold in nearly 47 countries. It has won multiple honours and has appeared on the bestseller lists of both US Today and The New York Times.
Kishimoto’s exact net worth is unknown, although according to sources, he is worth between $25 and $27 million. He is currently working on the Naruto sequel “Boruto: Naruto Next Generations,” which is also proving to be a successful series.
5. Yoshihiro Togashi
Net Worth: $30 Million
Yoshihiro Togashi is widely known for his renowned manga series Hunter X Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho. Both of these manga are extremely popular and have been converted into successful anime.
On the one hand, Hunter X Hunter has 80 million copies in circulation, but Yu Yu Hakusho has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. These two were critical successes in the 1990s, and they were well accepted by fans.
Togashi worked on several other mangas in his early days, but these two made him the richest manga writer of all time. Togashi’s net worth is expected to be approximately $30 million in 2022.
4. Hajime Isayama
Net Worth: $45 Million
When Hajime Isayama began working on Attack On Titan in 2005, he had no idea that his creation would lead him to the position of richest manga writer in 2021.
Despite being rejected by Weekly Shonen Jump, Isayama persisted with his storyboard and took Attack On Titan to Kodansha. It is now one of the most popular anime series among fans.
Isayama garnered multiple prizes for his outstanding work, including the Kodansha Manga Award and the Harvey Award. Attack On Titan has sold over 100 million copies to date, with sales continuing to rise.
Isayama’s net worth is reported to be between $45 and $46 million, including royalties from manga sales and anime production.
3. Gosho Aoyama
Net Worth: $50 Million
Gosho Aoyama is the creator of the mystery and crime-solving manga series Detective Conan. Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed, is a manga about a boy who deals with difficult cases while also going to school.
Case Closed is one of the most popular manga series, with over 1000 anime episodes and 240 million copies sold. Aoyama’s net worth is close to $50 million, with manga sales accounting for a large portion of it.
Aoyama began drawing at a young age and, in addition to Case Closed, has drawn other manga since the late 1980s. His other manga series include Magic Kito and Yaiba.
2. Akira Toriyama
Net Worth: $55 Million
Akira Toriyama is often regarded as the manga industry’s Godfather, and this is entirely accurate. Anime and manga gained recognition in the West as a result of his extra efforts in the Japanese business. People learn about anime through the legendary manga Dragon Ball.
People learned about anime for the first time because to Dragon Ball. In the 1990s, it was the most popular series. His manga sales from various Dragon Ball sequels are estimated to be around 300 million, with a sizable part sold in the West.
Akira Toriyama’s net worth is believed to be $55-57 million, and this is due to more than simply the Dragon Ball franchise. He is also in charge of character design in the Dragon Ball Quest video game series. He has also created several more mangas, including his first hit comedic series Dr. Slump.
1. Eiichiro Oda
Net Worth: $230 Million
No one in the history of the anime and manga industries has ever risen to the top of the richest manga writers of all time like Eiichiro Oda. He is the richest mangaka, with a net worth of more than $230 million.
His most famous Creation, One Piece, is one of the best shōnen anime series viewers have ever seen, and it has been amusing fans for the past 22 years. In terms of manga sales, One Piece has sold over 490 million copies, placing it second only to Superman in terms of sales.
He became a manga artist at the age of 17 and created such a fantastic story as One Piece that transformed the history of the manga business. It is nearly hard for anyone else to come close to Oda’s accomplishments over the last 20 years.
