Shigeru Mizuki was born as Shigeru Mura in Japan in 1922. He fought in Papua New Guinea during World War II and lost his left arm during a battle. He returned to Japan and initially worked as an illustrator for picture-story shows. He later become one of Japan's leading manga artists and was known for his Gegege no Kitaro series and autobiographical works depicting the frontline in Southeast Asia during World War II. He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1991 for his contribution to academics and arts and was recognized as a Person of Cultural Merit by the government in 2010. He died of heart failure on November 30, 2015 at the age of 93.