"How single-minded you are towards your dreams. There are so many human expressions, and I think Korakuen Hall is the place where you can really savor the drama."

One thing that has changed about Korakuen Hall since the old days is the audience seats. The people who come to watch have changed a lot. There are a lot of young people these days. In the past, there was a somewhat suspicious atmosphere. Yes, to put it simply, it was full of old men from the downtown area. Smoking is prohibited now, but the air was thick with cigarette smoke, people cheered on their teammates with rough language, and people were drinking alcohol by the bottle. I grew up in a downtown area, so I never disliked those kinds of places.
And there was a cylinder hanging from the ceiling at the bottom of the corner, with lights that went out one by one every 30 seconds. Ah, I thought that was supposed to let the boxer know how much time he had left, but I guess that's gone now.

Was Joe your model? You're not the only one who was influenced by him.
The first boxer I was interested in was Sawada Jiro, who became the Oriental Lightweight Champion at the age of 17. He usually works at a fish market, and we are actually the same age. I remember reading in the newspaper or something that he was challenging for the championship at 17, and feeling a sense of kinship with him. I think the first match I went to see was one of his. The first manga I drew about boxing was called "Fish Market Champion" (1965), and although he wasn't the model for Sawada, it's true that Sawada was the inspiration.
Sawada is one of the characters in Joe. So are Aoki Shori and Ebiwara Hiroyuki, who were popular in the 1950s. They were known as the "Megaton Punch" Aoki and the "Razor Punch" Ebiwara, and together with Fighting Harada, they were known as the "Three Crows." Then there's Ooba Masao, who died in a traffic accident while still world champion. There's also the image of Piston Horiguchi, the famous boxer known as the "Fist Saint" before the war. I think the images of various boxers came together to create the completely different personality of Joe.

While I draw manga, I am constantly having conversations with the characters. I put my pen to work, thinking about what they are thinking and how they are feeling. They even appear in my dreams. I want to live up to their efforts. That's why I draw so hard. Each and every day is my life. I don't want to waste it. Even when I take a bath, I don't take it easy, I wash as hard as I can. Just as Joe lived his life with complete dedication, I also want to always give my all in the time I'm given. Just like Joe, I'll live and draw until I'm completely white, and then sleep like I'm dead.

"Every day is my life. I want to burn it out every day. I want to live and paint until I'm completely white like Joe, and then I want to sleep like the dead."

"Ashita no Joe" was an epoch-making work for me. Until then, I had liked to draw the typical, heartwarming, downtown everyday life of manga. Manga featuring a carefree, mischievous boy like Ishida Kunimatsu from "Harris's Whirlwind." Of course, I had a desire to depict the heavy, dark side of humanity. Joe was what gave me the opportunity to do so. My style may have changed since then. I want to continue to depict the bright side of people, but that's not all. I began to express the heavy, heavy side as well.

Many of the people who read manga are children. Children's hearts are very innocent, that is to say, they are pure. As an artist, I try to be mindful of this. I often hear stories of boxers who wanted to be like Joe. It seems that Gushiken Yoko was like that, too. Did Tatsuyoshi Joichiro take his name Joe from Joe? I feel a great sense of responsibility, but I'm also very happy, that they took up boxing as children, inspired by my character Yabuki Joe.

But to be honest, I don't really like boxing. It's true that the rules have changed and fights are stopped earlier than they used to be. But no matter how modern it becomes, it's still about punching each other. When I went to see a match for the first time, I couldn't watch it properly. The thought of watching a fight up close filled me with fear, and I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. Of course, this is human instinct. Even though they wear gloves, they fight with fists that are almost bare, and it's a great Sports in which they train hard to master the techniques required for that. I don't intend to deny that. But it's just that I have a fear inside me. But I can't erase it.

For boxers, Korakuen Hall is both a sacred place and a gateway to success. Joe grew up at Korakuen Hall, and while some fighters are lucky enough to achieve glory, many lose and lose their heads, disappearing into obscurity. The vast majority of fighters end up remaining anonymous.