Takemiya cites her influences as being shōnen manga (manga for boys), the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, films, and documentaries. In 1972, after publishing Sora ga Suki! (空がすき！, "I Love the Sky!"), Takemiya traveled to Europe to learn more about life there as research for Kaze to Ki no Uta ("The Poem of Wind and Trees"). After that, she traveled to different parts of Europe on an almost annual basis.[1]