Born in Tokyo.
Graduated from the Department of Humanities, International Christian University of Tokyo in 1963.
From 1963 to 1974, worked at NHK, involving in the production of radio and television programs for their Educational and International Division.

Then, he started working independently as critic and researcher of cinema, animation and comics. Starting with his interview with Norman McLaren during his visit to Japan in 1970 (this interview is included in his first work, "Wanna Be Batman", published in 1974), he came to interview many international animation fimmakers, which were later compiled in a book, "Masters of Animated Films" (2006). This is a collection of interviews with 15 animators from around the world, including Karel Zeman, Paul Grimault and René Laloux.

During the 1980s, he traveled many times to Shanghai to visit Shanghai Animation Film Studios, where he interviewed the father of Chinese animation, Wan Lai Ming. This was later published as a book, "History of Chinese Animated Films" (1986). This book is still the only full length study on this theme in the world today.

His other publications include research papers on overseas comics such as "The World Image of Donald Duck" (1983), and translations and introduction to Japan of many overseas comics, including Art Spiegelman' s "MAUS" "MAUS II" and Joe Sacco' s "Palestine". For these achievements he was awarded the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Special Award in 2006.
He served the chairperson of the international jury in 14th Hiroshima International Animation Festival 2012.

He is a critic of cinema and manga, Board member of the Japan Society for Studies in Manga and Comic Art, visiting professor at Department of Asia, Kokushikan University, Tokyo. Member of ASIFA JAPAN, the Japan Cartoonists Association, and the Japan Science Fiction Writer' s Club. He is also a licensed hot air balloon pilot.