Sakura Momoko

Sakura Momoko began to write comic strips when she was a high school student. When her essay was praised in an essay test, it occurred to her to become essay comic. In 1984, when she was a freshman at Shizuoka Eiwa Women's college, she made her debut with "Oshieteyarunda Arigataku Omoe!" This comic strip describes her teacher quite comically, but unfortunately it didn't became well-known. So after graduation, she got a job with a publishing firm in Tokyo.

But in 1987, her composition "Chibi Maruko-chan" was serialized in the weekly comics "Ribbon," and won popularity among young girls. The comic book is now a best seller of three million copies in total since it began publication. It also won the Koudansha Comic Prize. And in 1990, it became an animated cartoon on TV. The central character of it, "Chibi Maruko," is Sakura Momoko herself and her childhood memories appeared in it. Its story is not only make us laugh but sometimes move us deeply. She draws a cartoon "Koji-Koji" besides "Chibi Maruko-chan." It became an animated cartoon on Tokyo TV. It has attracted many people.

Also she writes essays for the magazines "An An," and "Shosetsu Subalu." Her masterpieces are "Momo no Kanzume," "Tai no Okashira," "Saru no Koshikake," "Momoko no Acchi Kocchi Meguri" and "Maruko Dattsuta."

References: Gendaijinmei Jiten, '94, Vol.2,

Reported by: Yuki Gotou
Data verified by: Yukari Kawashima
Date of Report: November 1995
Updated by: Yuko Matsuo, October 1998

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