Shinji Mizushima

Shinji Mizushima was a Japanese manga artist born in Niigata Prefecture. He began his professional career in 1958 after winning an award from a local Osaka-based manga magazine, then relocated to Tokyo in 1964 to publish work in Shonen King magazine.

Mizushima became one of the most prominent baseball manga creators in Japan. His best-known works include Yakyuu-kyou no Uta, Dokaben, and Abu-san. Dokaben debuted in Shonen Champion in 1972 and ran for decades, spawning multiple sequel series.

His collected works span more than 540 tankobon volumes, placing him among the most prolific manga artists of all time. Mizushima received the Shogakukan Manga Award twice and won the Japan Cartoonists Association Award in 2007. He announced his retirement in December 2020.