Shigesato Itoi

Shigesato Itoi

Shigesato Itoi, 2015
Born (1948-11-10) November 10, 1948
Maebashi, Gunma, Japan[1]
Occupation Essayist, Voice actor, Copywriter, Lyricist, Game designer
Known for Mother series
‘Almost’ Daily Itoi News
Spouse(s) Kanako Higuchi (1993-)

Shigesato Itoi (糸井 重里 Itoi Shigesato, born November 10, 1948) is a Japanese copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. Itoi is the editor-in-chief of his website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun” (‘Almost’ Daily Itoi News).[2] He is best known outside Japan for his work on Nintendo's EarthBound series of games, as well as his self-titled bass fishing video game.

Writing

During the 1980s Itoi established the profession of writing copy for advertisements among the general public in Japan. The phrases from his ads were quoted as regularly as a best-selling song would have been. Multi-talented Itoi quickly expanded his horizons into essays, lyrics, and eventually to Nintendo game creation. He is best known in the US for Nintendo's MOTHER 2, released in 1994 in Japan and in 1995 in North America (as Earthbound).

In 1997, Itoi met the Internet and bought his first Macintosh. In 1998 he started the website “Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun” (“Almost Daily Itoi News”),[2] which is the center of his activity today. Under the theme of “creating good mood”, the website has been updated every day for the past fifteen years,[3] with Itoi’s own essays on lifestyle, interviews and articles, and merchandise sales. He talks about his dog, Bouillon, and also his interviews with artists, craftsmen, businessmen, etc., which tend to center on philosophical issues. Itoi has also co-written several books modeled on these interviews, in which he has a series of long conversations with, for example, an expert on neurology (Kaiba "The Hippocampus"), about how to live as a human being in the world.

His latest book, Atama no naka ni aru kouen ("A park in your mind"), is the fourth anthology issue of writings collected from the Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. "Hobo Nichi" (as it is called) provides its articles for free without any advertisement on the website. Merchandising of original lifestyle goods and publishing are the main business. The Hobonichi Day Planner, selling 342 thousand units, is Japan’s best-selling in the category. Other products include T-shirts, towels, “Haramaki” (belly warmer), calendars, and pottery.

Itoi co-authored a collection of short stories titled Yume de aimashou ("Let's meet in a dream") with writer Haruki Murakami.

Filmography

He has voiced Satsuki's father, Tatsuo Kusakabe, in the Japanese version of the 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro. He has been a judge on several episodes of the Japanese television shows Iron Chef and Hey! Spring of Trivia. Itoi made his acting debut in 2010, when he played the role of a professor in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood.

Video games

Shigesato Itoi was the lead designer for all three titles in the Mother series.

Itoi claims that the final battle of EarthBound was inspired from his accidental childhood viewing of the Shintoho film entitled The Military Policeman and the Dismembered Beauty. Specifically, the scene that inspired the battle was a scene that depicted a woman being raped near a river,[2] although the scene in question depicts a murder rather than a rape.[4]

Itoi has repeatedly explained that he would not be involved in a fourth title of the series.[5]

Other ventures

Shigesato Itoi worked with Nintendo to design video game-themed haramaki.[6]

Itoi launched a photo creation tool called "Dokonoko", which is designed specifically to be used with pets. It has been described as an "Instagram for pets".[7][8]

Personal life

Itoi was born on November 10, 1948 and raised in Maebashi, Gunma.[9] He was a heavy smoker until he quit in 2002.[10] Itoi has been married to actress Kanako Higuchi since 1993.

References

    1. ↑ http://www.tabibun.net/review/ja/itoi.html
    2. 1 2 3 "Interview with Shigesato Itoi" (in Japanese). 1101.com. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
    3. ↑ http://www.1101.com/index.html
    4. ↑ Mandelin, Clyde (20 January 2009). "The Scene that Inspired Giygas". Earthbound Central. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
    5. ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2013/4/30/4285438/earthbound-creator-says-new-series-installment-is-impossible
    6. ↑
    7. ↑ http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/earthbound-creator-launches-instagram-for-pets/0168126
    8. ↑ http://www.polygon.com/2016/6/6/11872340/dokonoko-ios-app-earthbound-shigesato-itoi
    9. ↑ "Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part One)". Nintendo Dream. Translation. July 2006. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
    10. ↑ "Shigesato Itoi Tells All about Mother 3 (Part Two)". Nintendo Dream. Translation. August 2006. p. 7. Archived from the original on August 31, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
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