Shigesato Itoi
Shigesato Itoi | |
---|---|
糸井 重里 | |
Other names | Darling |
Occupations |
|
Known for | Mother series Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper |
Spouse | |
Website | www |
Shigesato Itoi (糸井 重里, Itoi Shigesato, born November 10, 1948) is a Japanese copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. Itoi is the editor-in-chief of his website and company Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun ("Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper").[2] He is best known outside Japan for his work on Nintendo's Mother/EarthBound series of games, as well as his self-titled bass fishing video game.
Writing
During the 1980s Itoi established the profession of writing copy for advertisements among the general public in Japan. In 1981, he co-authored a collection of short stories titled Yume de Aimashou ("Let's meet in a dream") with writer Haruki Murakami. Later Itoi branched into writing essays, lyrics, and designing video games. He is best known outside of Japan for Nintendo's EarthBound, released in 1994 in Japan (as Mother 2: Giygas Strikes Back) and in 1995 in North America.
In 1997, Itoi began using the
Filmography
Itoi has voiced Satsuki's father, Tatsuo Kusakabe, in the original Japanese version of the 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro. He has been a judge on several episodes of the Japanese television shows Iron Chef and Hey! Spring of Trivia. He made his live-action acting debut in 2010, when he played the role of a professor in the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood.
Year | Film title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | My Neighbor Totoro | Tatsuo Kusakabe | Voice role |
2010 | Norwegian Wood | Professor |
Video games
Itoi established the company
Itoi claims that the final battle of EarthBound with Giygas was inspired from his accidental childhood viewing of the Shintoho film titled The Military Policeman and the Dismembered Beauty. Specifically, the scene that inspired the battle was a scene depicting a woman being murdered, which he mistook for rape.[2][5]
Itoi has said that he would not be involved in a fourth title of the series.[6] Itoi's works have had an impact on other games and other media, including Undertale,[7] and others.
Year | Game title | Role |
---|---|---|
1989 | Mother | Director, game designer, writer |
1993 | Monopoly
|
Producer |
1994 | EarthBound | Director, producer, writer, Saturn font concept, sampling voice |
1995 | The Monopoly Game 2 | Supervisor |
1997 | Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 | Original concept, supervisor |
2006 | Mother 3 | Story, scenario, message |
N/A | Cabbage | Designer |
Other ventures
Shigesato Itoi worked with Nintendo to design video game-themed haramaki.[8]
Itoi is an avid Monopoly player and is President of the Japan Monopoly Association (日本モノポリー協会, Nihon Monopoly Kyōkai).
Itoi launched a photo creation tool called "Dokonoko", which is designed specifically to be used with pets. It has been described as an "Instagram for pets". Dokonoko is most famous for a particular Japanese Labrador Retriever named Corky, who made front line news because of the abnormal length of her tongue.[10][11]
Personal life
Itoi was born on November 10, 1948, and raised in
References
- ^ "糸井重里". Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ a b c "ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞 - 『MOTHER』の気持ち。". www.1101.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ "ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞 - 海馬". www.1101.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ I. G. N. Staff (2000-04-05). "Nintendo Still Cooking Cabbage". IGN. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Mandelin, Clyde (20 January 2009). "The Scene that Inspired Giygas". Earthbound Central. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
- ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (2013-04-30). "Earthbound creator says new series installment is 'impossible'". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ "Undertale is an EarthBound Inspired Indie RPG". The Escapist. 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ "Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi collaborates with Nintendo on fashion". Eurogamer.net. 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ "ほぼ日刊イトイ新聞 -モノポリーページ". www.1101.com. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ISSN 1469-4832. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (2016-06-06). "EarthBound creator's latest project is an Instagram for pets". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
- Nintendo Dream. July 2006. p. 1. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- Nintendo Dream. August 2006. p. 7. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ Arino, Shinya; Itoi, Shigesato (14 September 2019). "Shigesato Itoi Visits Arino Kacho's Challenge Room: An RPG Without Swords or Magic". 1101. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
External links
- Shigesato Itoi on Twitter
- Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun
- Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun on Twitter
- Shigesato Itoi at IMDb
- Shigesato Itoi at NHK Archives (in Japanese)
- Shigesato Itoi profile at MobyGames
- Shigesato Itoi manga at Media Arts Database (in Japanese)
- Shigesato Itoi anime at Media Arts Database (in Japanese)
- Super Mario 25th Anniversary Itoi discusses Mario Bros. with its creator Shigeru Miyamoto
- Johnny Weir!!! Itoi interviews US Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir
- Special Selection: Shigesato Itoi (in Japanese)