Interviews with Three Legendary Manga-ka: Watanabe Masako, Mizuno Hideko, and Satonaka Machiko

This chapter highlights the lives of three women artists through interviews with prominent manga creators Watanabe Masako (b. 1929) and Mizuno Hideko (b. 1939), who established themselves as professional artists in the male-dominated manga culture of the 1960s, and with Satonaka Machiko (b. 1948), an artist of the next generation who further advanced the flourishing manga culture. Watanabe has always been interested in providing her audience with human dramas, from classic to contemporary, on diverse themes. Mizuno has constantly challenged cultural taboos and cultivated new artistic expressions. Satonaka used manga as a platform to demonstrate how young girls and women should live, teaching her readers the importance of being strong and making their own decisions in their lives. These interviews are precious testimonies. These artists have always treated manga as a means of presenting their ideals and life philosophies, as well as engaging with readers and society.