Fujio Productions Ltd.

Fujio Productions Ltd. (株式会社フジオ・プロダクション), commonly known as Fujio Pro, is a Japanese company founded in 1969 by the legendary gag manga artist Fujio Akatsuka. Originally established as a manga production studio to accelerate the creation of Akatsuka's hit works, it has evolved into the primary manager and licensor of Akatsuka's extensive catalog of characters and comics. The company is headquartered in Yayoi-cho, Nakano, Tokyo, and is currently led by Akatsuka's daughter, Rieko Akatsuka, who serves as representative director. Akatsuka, known as the "King of Gag" for works such as Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun, founded the company to formalize a division-of-labor system that allowed him to produce manga at a rapid pace. The studio brought together assistants and fellow manga artists who contributed to the creation of iconic characters. Over the decades, Fujio Productions has managed copyrights, publishing, exhibitions, advertising, and character merchandising related to Akatsuka's works. The company is known for its strict enforcement of portrait and copyright rights, having engaged in litigation over unauthorized character use. Today, Fujio Productions continues to develop and extend the boundaries of Akatsuka's work, aiming to innovate and meet the demands of contemporary media and fans worldwide. It maintains archives, produces new publications, and licenses characters for a variety of products and media. The company's official website states its commitment to delivering the "Akatsuka World" full of energy and laughter through novel planning, publishing, and commercialization.

Fujio Productions was founded by Fujio Akatsuka, one of Japan's most influential gag manga artists. The company's origins trace back to around 1963, when Akatsuka, having achieved success with Osomatsu-kun and Himitsu no Akko-chan, established Shichifukujin Production with a group of collaborators including Kunio Nagatani, Takao Yokoyama, Kenichiro Takai, Tokuo Yokota, George Yamauchi, and his then-wife Tomoko Ino. This collective aimed to share manga production work, but the cramped office and poor conditions led to its dissolution after about a year. A subsequent workspace brought together Yokoyama, Takai, Mitsutoshi Furuya, and Kenichi Kitami, forming the core of what would become Fujio Pro. On April 2, 1965, Fujio Productions was officially established with six founding members: Akatsuka, Nagatani, Furuya, Yokoyama, Kitami, and Kenji Takenaka. They initially rented a 34-tsubo space on the third floor of the Ichikawa Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, sharing the floor with Fujiko Studio and Tsunoda Pro. The fourth floor housed Studio Zero, an animation studio co-founded by Shotaro Ishinomori, Shinichi Suzuki, Fujiko F. Fujio, and Tsunoda Jiro, which Akatsuka joined half a year later. On September 27, 1969, the company was incorporated with Akatsuka as representative director. The company moved several times: from the Ichikawa Building to the Murata Building in Yoyogi in 1969, then to a wooden house in Nakaochiai in 1970, and finally to a self-owned building in Nakaochiai completed in 1978. In November 2020, the headquarters relocated to Yayoi-cho, Nakano, on land Akatsuka first purchased in 1965. The old Nakaochiai building was demolished in 2023 after hosting a retrospective exhibition. In 1969, Fujio Pro also launched a gekiga (dramatic manga) division led by Keiji Yoshitani, producing long-form dramatic works with scenarios by Kai Takizawa. The division included artists like Kenji Yuki and Tomoo Kimura, but it dissolved around 1974 after Yoshitani left. In 2025, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Akatsuka's birth, a new series titled Nyarome no Omoshiro Nihonshi Meigen Nyumon began serialization in Comic Ran under the credit "Fujio Pro (Gekiga Division)." Akatsuka served as the first representative director, followed by his second wife, Machiko Akatsuka. After Machiko's death, his daughter Rieko Akatsuka, a contemporary artist based in London, took over as president in 2006. The company has also been involved in various side businesses, including a racing team, a video production company, an animation studio, and a snack bar, though most ventures outside manga and animation were unsuccessful. Fujio Productions is known for its strict management of portrait rights and copyrights. It has pursued legal action against unauthorized use of Akatsuka's characters, such as the case involving the unauthorized release of Sazaebon. The company continues to manage Akatsuka's vast catalog, produce new publications, and license characters for advertising, merchandise, and media.

• 2025

  Nyarome no Omoshiro Nihonshi Meigen Nyumon begins serialization in Comic Ran.

• 2023

  Old Nakaochiai building is demolished after a retrospective exhibition.

• 2020

  Headquarters relocates to Yayoi-cho, Nakano, Tokyo.

• 2006

  Rieko Akatsuka becomes representative director.

• 1978

  Self-owned building completed in Nakaochiai.

• 1974

  Gekiga division dissolves after Yoshitani leaves.

• 1970

  Headquarters moves to Nakaochiai, Shinjuku.

• 1969

  Company is incorporated on September 27 with Fujio Akatsuka as representative director.

• 1969

  Gekiga division is launched under Keiji Yoshitani.

• 1965

  Fujio Productions is established on April 2 with six founding members.

• 1963

  Akatsuka and collaborators form Shichifukujin Production, a precursor to Fujio Pro.

Copyright management and character licensing company for the works of Fujio Akatsuka, known for strict rights enforcement and innovative development of classic gag manga.

• Genius Bakabon (Manga)

• Osomatsu-kun (Manga)

• Himitsu no Akko-chan (Manga)

• Moretsu Ataro (Manga)

• Nyarome no Omoshiro Nihonshi Meigen Nyumon (Manga, 2025)

• FUJIO AKATSUKA Original Gagsta (Book, 2019)

• Shonen Bakabon (Manga, 2014-2016)

1. 1フジオ・プロ ｜ Fujio Productionsfujio-pro.co.jp
2. 2フジオ・プロ ｜ ご挨拶fujio-pro.co.jp
3. 3Fujio Productions | Introductionfujio-pro.co.jp
4. 4フジオ・プロダクション - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
5. 5Fujio Productions - Wikidatawikidata.org