Biography | Mitsushi Asaoka a.k.a. Asaoka Koji, Mitsushi Asahigaoka and Koji Asahioka

Mitsushi Asaoka (1938-?) a.k.a. Asaoka Koji, Mitsushi Asahigaoka and Koji Asahioka
 

Asaoka is known as a versatile creator not only for his work as a mangaka but also as a writer, a journalist, a screenwriter and an all-round designer.
He belongs to the generation of manga artists who began in the kashihon market before entering the major weekly magazines of the 1960s.

He started his career in the late 1950s, publishing through rental-library publishers such as Ikkosha, Bun’yosha, Tokyo Top-sha, Akebono Shuppan, and Geibunsha … all companies specializing in crime, suspense, and hard-edged drama. According to Mandarake, Asaoka produced over 80 rental-book titles during this period. Early works such as Hell Fireworks (1959) and Return the Blood already show the dark, adult tone associated with the gekiga movement. 

His stories often explore ordinary people caught in difficult situations: war survivors, workers in dangerous situations, criminals on the run, or families torn apart.

He liked to place his characters in settings drawn from real postwar Japan: construction zones, military bases, struggling rural towns, or neighborhoods affected by poverty and crime. The psychological tension between his characters and the harsh environments they inhabit really stand out.

Asaoka’s style is marked by realism, emotional depth, and a strong interest in the political and social atmosphere of mid-20th-century Japan, placing him among the notable creators of the gekiga generation.

In the 1960s, Asaoka expanded beyond the rental circuit and published in major magazines, including Weekly Shonen Jump. Although some of his works are now difficult to locate, he remains an important figure for readers interested in early adult-oriented manga and the evolution of gekiga.

Selected Works

• Shoot Down the Enemy Aircraft (Kasou Tekiki o Ute)
  A multi-volume drama about an aviation accident and the fate of two brothers.
  Published around 1962 by Tokyo Top-sha.
• Strait of Escape (Toubou Kaikyo)
  The story of a fugitive caught up in major civil construction projects in modern Japan.
  Published in the 1960s by Bun’yosha.
• John F. Kennedy: Glory and Tragedy of the American Dream
  A biographical manga about the U.S. president.
  Published around 1964 in a special biography volume.
• Human Trafficking (Hitogai)
  Published under the name Koji Asahioka.
  Tokyo Top-sha, 1965.