Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) has long been noted for his ironic and gloomy wit, his obsession with suicide, and his brilliant fantasy, continues to be the most beloved of Japan's modern fiction authors. In the 100th anniversary of his birth, the nation devoted a year to him be celebrating his works through film, TV and literature.
Usamaru Furuya was born in Tokyo, Japan on January 25th, 1968. A former member of the Osamu Tezuka Manga Correspondence Program, Furuya began to embrace subculture and the undergroud art scene at an early age. He was an early participant in the Tokyo version of the Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol creating puppets and set designs for their elaborate performances. After graduating from university, Usamaru turned his attention to the world of comics. His early projects combined the surreal with extremely modern political commentary winning him critical acclaim worldwide for his juxtapositions of Tokyo youth and their suit wearing salaryman counterparts. Since his debut in 1994, Furuya has gone to draw 16 titles for Japan's leading comics publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha (publishers of Shonen Jump).
