“It is our deep regret that he still has several works being created with great enthusiasm,” we can read. “He would have had a lot more to accomplish. However, he left many manga titles and artworks to this world.
He has been a source of inspiration for many renowned Japanese comic artists, such as Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the popular series “Naruto”, and Eiichiro Oda, the creator of one of the longest-running anime “One Piece”.
“We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation will continue to be loved by all for a long time to come,” his studio said.
Many people in Japan and around the world paid tribute to Toriyama on Friday.
At a news conference, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government was “deeply saddened by the news” and offered condolences to the late author's family.
Toriyama “served as an opportunity for Japanese content to be widely recognized around the world, leading to an increase in inbound tourism,” he said. “I believe Mr. Toriyama's work played an extremely important role in demonstrating Japan's soft power.”
Famous Japanese actors Yuki Kaji and Toshio Furukawa also expressed their gratitude in articles on X.
Toriyama's death also sparked tributes on neighboring Chinese social network Weibo, with 40 million views and thousands of discussions on the topic. His Dragon Ball is inspired by the Chinese literature “Journey to the West”, which has attracted many Chinese fans.
China's Foreign Ministry said the country would like to “express our deep condolences on the passing of Mr. Akira Toriyama and our sincere sympathy to his family.”
“Toriyama was a famous cartoonist and his works were well received in China. We hope and believe that there will be more capable people in Japan who will actively devote themselves to Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges and the cause of friendship between the two countries.” said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Andee Capellan from Hong Kong.