The legendary calligrapher Tsunanori Sakaguchi has passed away. Sakaguchi, who is credited for creating 57 different types of calligraphy fonts that have been used in shows like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, died at the age of 86.
According to the Minami Nihon Shimbun newspaper, Tsunanori Sakaguchi passed away due to heart failure on Monday, March 14, 2022. At 86 years old, Sakaguchi continued working until his death. The calligrapher reportedly wanted to work until he was 90 years old.
Tsunanori Sakaguchi is credited for creating 57 different types of calligraphy fonts that span over 400,000 different characters. The calligrapher's fonts were widely used in television shows, books, and games. One of his fonts was famously used in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series. However, Sakaguchi didn't know about his newfound fame until his grandson told him about the popular show.
Sakaguchi was born in November 1935 in Satsuma in Kagoshima prefecture. Since he was a child, he enjoyed both drawing and painting which would later turn into a lifelong career. When he was in the fourth grade, Sakaguchi sold paintings to help raise funds for his elementary school. The experience clearly made the boy realize that art was his calling.
After serving as an apprentice as a sign maker in Tokyo, Sakaguchi returned to Kagoshima and opened his own shop. He converted his calligraphy into fonts that were commercialized in 2004, and when he gained popularity, Sakaguchi established the font production and distribution company Showa Shotai nearly a decade later.
In addition to Demon Slayer, anime shows like Kokuryu-sоu and Shinryu-sоu have used Sakaguchi's fonts. The fonts in the two other animes have recently been added to the Adobe Fonts service.
You can see Sakaguchi's font in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which will return with its third season soon. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.
Related: Demon Slayer Season 3: Will Zenitsu and Inosuke Appear in Swordsmith Village Arc?
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