Masako Watanabe
1929–2026Japanese manga artist known for works such as Glass Castle and Saint Rosalind, and the first female manga artist to receive the Order of the Rising Sun.
Particulars
Masako Watanabe was a Japanese manga artist born in 1929 in Tokyo. She was known for a wide range of works including Garasu no Shiro (Glass Castle), Sei Rosarindo (Saint Rosalind), and Kinpeibai, gaining recognition across multiple genres over a career spanning much of the postwar period of Japanese comics.
Watanabe received the Japan Cartoonists Association Award's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize in 2002. In 2006 she became the first female manga artist to be decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class.
She died on October 3, 2026, at the age of 97, as announced by her official account. She left a farewell message thanking her fans, colleagues, and the staff who cared for her.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.