Yoshifumi Kondō (近藤 喜文, Kondō Yoshifumi; March 31, 1950 – January 21, 1998) was a Japanese animator who worked for…Yoshifumi Kondō (近藤 喜文, Kondō Yoshifumi; March 31, 1950 – January 21, 1998) was a Japanese animator who worked for Studio Ghibli in his last years. He was born in Gosen, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. He worked as an animation director on Anne of Green Gables, Sherlock Hound, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday and Princess Mononoke. Kondō directed the animated film Whisper of the Heart, and was expected to become one of the top directors at Studio Ghibli, alongside Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and to become their eventual successor. Kondō died of aortic dissection – alternately aneurysm – in 1998.
Kimio Yanagisawa (Japanese: 柳沢 きみお, Hepburn: Yanagisawa Kimio; born September 26, 1948) is a Japanese manga artist. His…Kimio Yanagisawa (Japanese: 柳沢 きみお, Hepburn: Yanagisawa Kimio; born September 26, 1948) is a Japanese manga artist. His real name is pronounced the same way, but is written with the kanji 柳澤 公夫. He graduated from Niigata Prefectural Muramatsu High School two years prior to Yoshifumi Kondō. After graduation, he attended Wakō University where he studied fine arts. In 1972, Yanagisawa won an honorable mention in the 4th Tezuka Shō Manga Story contest for his story Makeru na Kisaburō (submitted under his real name). His contemporary, Kazuhito Kurosaki, also won second place in the same contest. In 1978, he won the 3rd Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Tonda Couple.
Mieko Takizawa (瀧澤美恵子; March 1, 1939–August 9, 2020) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her 1989 work…Mieko Takizawa (瀧澤美恵子; March 1, 1939–August 9, 2020) was a Japanese novelist. She was best known for her 1989 work Nekobaba no iru Machi de (ネコババのいる町で), which won the Akutagawa Prize.