Toshie Kihara

Who is Toshie Kihara?

Toshie Kihara is a Japanese shōjo manga artist and member of the Year 24 Group. She made her professional debut in 1969 with Kotchi muite Mama! in Bessatsu Margaret, and has since written mainly historical manga. She is best known for her series Mari to Shingo about a romance between two young men in the early Shōwa era.

She received the 1985 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Yume no Ishibumi, a multi-volume collection of short stories with shōnen-ai themes.

In 1998, Kihara adapted Torikaebaya monogatari, a Heian-era tale, into a manga volume called Torikaebaya Ibun. Her manga was then adapted as a Takarazuka Revue musical.

In 1999, Kihara won the Shimada Prize for Yubi no tankyu: Kano Tan'yu ron.