Yoshihiko Funazaki

section Funazaki was born to a wealthy family in Tokyo. After graduating from Gakushuin University in 1968, he worked as a songwriter, screenwriter, and illustrator while working in a real estate company. In 1969, while he had leave of absence, he and Yasuko Funazaki, his wife, started to write a nonsense tale, The Hammer and the Flowery General. In 1971, he resigned from the company and made his debut as a novelist. In 1973, he wrote Poppen Sensei no Nichiyōbi. The next year, the second novel of this series, Professor Poppen and the Swamp of No Return won The Redbird Literary Prize. His autobiographical Ame no Dōbutsuen won The Sankei Child Books Publishing and Culture Award in 1975, and was selected as "Honor List" of Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1976 respectively. In 1976, I can see that girl was nominated for the Graphic Award at the Bologna International Book Fair. In 1983, Q is best in the world won Sankei Jidō Shuppan Bunka Shō. In 1984, Hakamadare won Japanese Picture Books Prize. In 1986, Kazehiki Tamago won Sankei Jidō Shuppan Bunka Shō. In 1989, Poppen Sensei series won The Roadside Stone Literary Prize. Funazaki died on October 15, 2015, at the age of 70 in Mitaka, Tokyo.

Around 1996, Funazaki was informed by a reader that Detective Conan, had similarities to Picasso-kun no tantei note. Funazaki checked Detective Conan and "verified close resemblances." Funazaki considered "these resemble points has possibility of coincidence," so he contacted Shogakukan. Funazaki was told, "The creator (Gosho Aoyama) might not have read Picasso-kun no tantei note. But I can't deny the possibility that one of his staff members was amused at the situation of Picasso-kun no tantei note and suggested as an idea." (Funazaki had not read any other volume except the first, because he considered that "It is ridiculous that he gave the royalties from Conan books to Gosho Aoyama.") Later, he wrote about this inquiry process in the quarterly magazine Parolu, where he declared, "There is no responsibility (責任の所在がない)," "I'll fall into evil way (グレてやる)". Funazaki was offended at the response, and he published the third book as a protest against Aoyama.

Picasso-kun is a fictional character in a series of Japanese children's booksPicasso-kun no tantei note(Picasso's case file) created by Funazaki. He himself illustrated these books. Picasso's real name is Mitsumoto Sugimoto. He is a sixth grader at Sakuramachi Elementary School and looks like an ordinary schoolboy, but his actual age is 23. Ten years prior, he was severely wounded while he was playing baseball; he then physically stopped growing, so he appears to be an ordinary kid but is mentally older. After his injury his father, a diplomat, took him to England. While being raised there, he became a Sherlock Holmes admirer. After returning to Japan, he came back to the elementary school, and established a detective office. He wears glasses, long boots, a suit and a tie.(But, these similarities Funazaki described are all extremely common s in manga. For example, The motif of little detective who wears suit and tie (bow tie) is used by Osamu Tezuka, Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Fujiko Fujio.) His circumstances are well known by society. So he is allowed to drink alcoholic drinks and smoke a cigar. And he has a driver's license. • 1983 Picasso-kun no tantei chō(Picasso's case file) (ピカソ君の探偵帳) Fukuinkan Shoten, Tokyo, • 1994 Picasso-kun no tantei note (ピカソ君の探偵ノート) [retitled] Parol-sha, Tokyo, • 1995 The macaroni au gratin murder case (マカロニグラタン殺人事件) Parol-sha, Tokyo, • 2000 The great baseball player murder plan (大リーガー殺人計画) Parol-sha, Tokyo,

Yoshihiko Funazaki is recorded as poet, novelist, illustrator, lyricist and songwriter.