Who is Yoshimi Kato? Meet the Late Mangaka Akira Toriyama’s Wife!

Mangaka Akira Toriyama died at the age of 68 on Friday, March 1, 2024. He is a well-known and influential artist who has made significant contributions to the anime and manga genres. His major effort, Dragon Ball, is partly responsible for anime's current popularity. He also helped to create and popularize an entire type of anime and manga series today: shonen.

Akira Toriyama has inspired and shaped millions of people who grew up watching his work. People around the world are mourning his death.

Fans would want to express their condolences to his two children and his beloved wife, Yoshimi Kato, a renowned manga artist who retired some time ago. She not only developed her manga series but also assisted Akira Toriyama with Dragon Ball.

Who is Akira Toriyama’s Wife – Yoshimi Kato?

Yoshimi Kato is also a manga artist who works under the moniker Nachi Mikami. Yoshimi Kato was involved in the development of Dragon Ball from the beginning.

Yoshimi Kato attended high school in Nagoya, Japan, where she met Toriyama.

She is a former manga artist and writer who has worked on various volumes during her career.

Akira Toriyama's Wife

According to a blog on the Dragon Ball Z store, she utilized several names throughout her artistic career, including “Yoshihime” and “Mikami Nachi.”.

Her work has been titled The Top and Bottom of Rock and Roll in 1977, The Confusing Legend of St. Mephisto in 1985, and Rock and Rollers' Story: The Queen Story, according to Fandomwire.

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Kato also collaborated with Akira on his signature Dragon Ball project, affecting the plot and character designs.

One of the most important innovations she contributed to the project was the character Android 18, which she designed to have a distinct appearance.

When did Akira and Yoshimi Kato marry?

Yoshimi Kato and Akira Toriyama married in Japan on May 2, 1982. They had been married for 42 years before Akira died on March 1, 2024, at the age of 68.

According to kanzenshuu, a Dragon Ball documentation site, he had been dating her for a year and was “shy” around women, but felt he could be “himself” with her.

Akira Toriyama's Wife

They further allege that the married couple authorized local media to photograph the “small” wedding but only if they did so in “five minutes”.

When asked about his wife at the time, he claimed she has “a good personality” and “looks after his well-being”.

How Many kids do Akira and Yoshimi have?

Yoshimi Kato and Akira Toriyama had two children together. They have two children: a son, Sasuke, born on March 23, 1987, and a daughter, born in October 1990.

Sasuke went on to follow in his father's footsteps and become a great manga artist himself.

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According to Biographydaily, he now carries on his father's legacy by stewarding Akira's famed collection of manga work.

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