Junji Ito’s achievement is supported with four different Eisner wins throughout his career.
Announced during the San Diego Comic-Con 2025 event, celebrated “master of horror manga” Junji Ito has been inducted into the illustrious Will Eisner Hall of Fame. Ito was part of the voter’s choices line up.
This isn’t the first time that Ito was honoured by the Eisner Awards. Considered as the “Oscars” of the comic book and graphic novel world, Ito was first nominated in 2003 for his work “Uzumaki” (Spiral). He was again nominated in 2009 for the same title.
In 2019, Ito won his first Eisner with his manga adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, titled “Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection”, garnering the “Best Adaptation from Another Medium” award.
His second and third Eisner Award were given in 2021; “Remina” earned him the “Best U.S Edition of International Material - Asia” award, while “Venus in the Blind Spot” won “Best Writer/Artist”.
In 2022, Ito received his fourth Eisner Award for “Best U.S Edition of International Material - Asia” with his collection of short horror stories in “Lovesickness”.
Junji Ito expresses his gratitude for the Eisner induction
In an official video from VIZ Media, the American entertainment company working with Ito to publish his works for a global audience, Ito expressed his heartfelt gratitude for being inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame, which he stated is “the greatest honour.”
Furthermore, he stated: “This honor inspires me, though I don’t know how long I will continue being a manga artist, to continue for as long as I can in a way that doesn’t rest on one’s laurels, to continue to strive to be a better creator.”
Ito went on to thank the selection committee of the Eisner Awards, the readers who have continuously supported him, and the publishing community for their longstanding support. He also extended a special thanks to VIZ Media for their “wonderful designs of my book covers”.
Ito additionally acknowledged Kazuo Umezu, also known as Kazuo Umezz, who passed away last year, as his inspiration for becoming a manga artist, as well as “everyone who gave me the energy and motivation to create manga.”
You can watch the full statement on VIZ Media’s official X (formerly Twitter) account:
Junji Ito, who was born on 31 July, 1963 in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, has had a long and ardent adoration for horror manga. He began to draw manga at four years old, and continued to draw as a hobby until he broke out in the manga scene in 1987, after winning an honourable mention in the Kazuo Umezu Prize for what would be later known as “Tomie”.
