Keisuke Itagaki

Manga guest of honor Keisuke Itagaki is a leading figure in martial arts manga, known worldwide for his iconic Baki saga, published since 1991 and comprising more than 150 volumes across six series.

Born on April 4, 1957, in Kushiro Prefecture on the island of Hokkaido, Keisuke Itagaki developed a passion for martial arts at a young age. He practiced Shorijin Kempo in high school and earned a 2nd-degree black belt.

After graduating from high school, he worked for a while in his hometown before serving in the Army. He was a member of the 1st Narashino Airborne Brigade for about five years. He took up amateur boxing and competed at the national level. He left the Self-Defense Forces following a hospitalization due to illness. He then tried his hand at other professions before finally deciding to pursue a career as a manga artist.

At the age of 30, he enrolled in the Gekiga Mura Juku comic school, founded by manga writer Kazuo Koike, and made his debut with Meikappa. In 1991, he published the manga Baki in Weekly Shônen Champion magazine (Akita Shoten), and surpassed 100 million copies in total sales. He is currently publishing the sixth part of the series, Baki Rahen.

Keisuke Itagaki will be there on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

He will also be holding meet-and-greets.