Leiji Matsumoto

The basic look for all Matsumoto's heroines was inspired by an old photograph he discovered during World War II. The photo was of Takako Mise, the granddaughter of Dr. Philipp Franz Von Siebold, a Dutchman and the first European to teach Western medicine in Japan during the 1800s. Matsumoto was also inspired by actresses Marianne Hold, Eleanor Parker, Danielle Darrieux and Kaoru Yachigusa.

Leiji Matsumoto was born on January 25, 1938 in Fukuoka, Japan as Akira Matsumoto.

His favourite actress is Marianne Hold, whom he had watched in Marianne of My Youth (1955).

His series Uchû senkan Yamato (1974) (Space Battleship Yamato) was dubbed and released into the United States as Star Blazers (1979) to wide popularity and acclaim. The series is considered a groundbreaker for introducing a current term/genre to the world - anime.

He has a deep fascination with German culture, and expresses it through his work, especially on Uchû kaizoku kyaputen Hârokku (1978).

In 1981, to promote his upcoming series Shin taketori monogatari: 1000-nen joô (1981), he shot a special video which combined animation with live-action. The video features the Yamato (the eponymous Uchû senkan Yamato (1974)) docking on Earth, and its crew disembarking. While most of the crew rendezvous at a park to honour their Captain, Yuki Mori heads to Matsumoto's house, along with her comrades Queen Starsha and Sasha; Maetel from Galaxy Express 999 (1978); Queen Emeraldas from Uchû kaizoku kyaputen Hârokku (1978); and Yukino Yayoi of Shin taketori monogatari: 1000-nen joô (1981) (all Matsumoto's heroines). There, all the women interview him about his work. This is considered the first feature to combine animation with live-action, long before huge films like Space Jam (1996) did the same.

He owns a Revi C-12D gunsight, used in World War II fighter planes. This gunsight was used as a visual reference for the animators working on Arcadia of My Youth (1982).

In 1999, the Matsumoto Symbol Road was constructed in the city of Tsuruga, to commemorate the town's 100th anniversary (Tsuraga is noted for being a place of science and progress). The Symbol Road is lined with a series of 4-foot bronze statues, of characters or scenes from Matsumoto's series Uchû senkan Yamato (1974) and Galaxy Express 999 (1978).

He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by Emperor Akihito in 2010.

Matsumoto had originally planned to a course in mechanical engineering, but due to family financial difficulties he instead took a course in art. He later encouraged and supported his brother Susumu Matsumoto to take the engineering course. Susumu went on to become the director of the Nagasaki Research Institute, and as of 2011, is a technical officer at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries technology HQ (he designed the core of the H-IIA missile).

He was awarded Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by French culture minister Aurelie Filippetti in 2012.