Nobuhiro Sakata, a manga author and professional golfer, passed away on the 22nd at the age of 76, as announced by the editorial department of Shogakukan's "Big Comic Original".
The editorial department reported, "Mr. Nobuhiro Sakata, a manga author, passed away on July 22, 2024, at the age of 76. The funeral was held privately by family members."

Sakata was known for his works such as "Kaze no Daichi" in "Big Comic Original", "Naoko" in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits", and "DAN DOH!!" in "Weekly Shonen Sunday". The final chapter of "Kaze no Daichi" was set at the British Open, coinciding with his passing on the day this year's British Open concluded. He truly lived as a person of the wind and earth. We take pride in his sincere life and express our deepest respect and condolences for his accomplishments during his lifetime."

Born on October 11, 1947, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Sakata was active as a professional golfer, manga author, and head of the Sakata Junior Golf Academy. After dropping out of Kyoto University, he joined the Self-Defense Forces in 1969 and completed his service in 1971. He began his training at Kanuma Country Club in Tochigi Prefecture in the same year and passed the Japan Professional Golf Association's pro test in 1975. While continuing his tournament life, he started his writing career.

In 1991, he began the serialization of "Kaze no Daichi" (illustrated by Eiji Kazama) in "Big Comic Original" (Shogakukan), which won the 39th Shogakukan Manga Award in the General Category in 1993. He continued to energetically write various original works, including "Hikari no Sora" (illustrated by Eiji Kazama), "Naoko" (illustrated by Yu Nakahara), "DAN DOH!!" (illustrated by Daichi Banjou), the "Daichi no Ko Series" (illustrated by Eiji Kazama), and "GOLF: Read This If You Hate Practice!" (co-authored with Kenshi Hirokane), thus pioneering new possibilities for sports manga.

Source : ORICON NEWS