"karakurizōshi ayatsuri sakon", with author sharakumaro, became his first work to be adapted into an anime. he then created "hikaru no go" with yumi hotta, which received the shogakukan manga award in 1999 and the tezuka osamu cultural prize in 2003. with 25 million collected volumes in circulation, it was adapted into an anime and became his first work to be released in north america.