When they returned home, those comics would naturally find their way into the hands of their son.
The works of icons such as Akira Toriyama, Fujiko F Fujio and Katsuhiro Otomo opened young Sanpo’s eyes to the wonder and emotional power of the medium. You could say Sanpo was literally “trained” on manga from a young age!
Today, he is a successful manga artist and visual director whose own work has reached audiences around the world.
In late March, Sanpo was in Kuala Lumpur alongside illustrator and longtime collaborator Rokkakkei to deliver a talk and workshop on breaking into the creative industry. The event was held at the Malaysian campus of the University of Tsukuba, where Sanpo once studied.
“To join the industry, you should experience as many forms of entertainment as you can – films, games, shows, even opera and musicals,” Sanpo told FMT Lifestyle.
“Get involved and gather ideas, then create your own ideas and show them to the world. Eventually, people who like your work will discover you and help you succeed.”
Sanpo has lived by his own advice throughout his career. As a young artist, he received an honourable mention in a newcomer competition organised by Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Magazine, marking his first step into the industry.
Determined to put his work into more hands, he printed free copies of his manga and distributed them among friends and fellow university students.
Eventually, one of those copies found its way to a game developer, who was impressed enough to offer him a collaboration opportunity. Through Kadokawa Game Linkage, Sanpo has worked on official manga adaptations for globally recognised video-game franchises.
Additionally, he has participated in international comic festivals across Canada, China and Algeria, and was twice runner-up at the Graphic Shakespeare Competition.
More recently, he served as a visual artist for “Who Said Death Is Beautiful?”, directed by Ryo Nakajima. The film screened at major festivals including in Annecy, France and Bucheon, South Korea in 2024, before winning Best Animation at the Philip K Dick International Film Festival last year.
The project stood out for its unusual blend of animation, motion capture and live-action filmmaking techniques.
Sanpo said combining the different visual styles was challenging, particularly in Japan where animation and live action have traditionally been treated as separate creative worlds. But he is ultimately pleased with the end result.
One of his collaborators on the film was illustrator Rokkakkei, a soft-spoken artist known for her fantastical creations filled with monsters, creatures and mecha.
Her journey, however, was not without struggles. In her late teens, she developed a debilitating mental disorder that severely affected her creative process: even drawing a straight line became painfully difficult and could take hours to complete.
Still, she persisted with her craft and slowly improved over a decade. Today, she considers herself fully recovered.
Recently, Rokkakkei contributed a solo silent manga piece to the exhibition “9: Bande dessinées + Manga” at the Prince Takamado Gallery, embassy of Canada in Japan.
Sanpo and Rokkakkei entertained and inspired participants throughout the workshop, speaking candidly about the realities and challenges of working in the creative industry.
Sanpo’s advice for aspiring artists in Kuala Lumpur is simple: stay consistent. No artist begins perfect, he said, and growth only comes through persistence, experimentation and practice.
Truly, he believes Malaysia is brimming with potential. “I’ve met many great creators from this city – they have great motivation and spirit. I hope that in the future, I can work with them, whether it’s in Japan or other countries.”
Rokkakkei also stressed the importance of perseverance. And she, too, was taken in by Malaysia, which she called “charming”.
“I think the two mascots of your Visit Malaysia Year are very cute,” she shared with a laugh. “I like the architecture, the food and the traditional costumes here, and I hope to come here again. I’m sure it will give me lots of inspiration.”
Follow Sanpo Yokoi and Rokkakkei on Instagram.