Sakura was born in Shizuoka pref on 8th May, 1965.

In 1984 she studied in a college. During her study, she debuted with Shueisha. After the college she went to Tokyo to join a publisher call Gyosei/ぎょうせい. She often fell asleep on the job. Her boss asked her to choose between her company job or mangaka. Just after 2 months she joined the company, she left.

She quit the company late May, 1986 and started drawing the "Chibi Maruko chan" in August in the same year.

Momo Sakura was born in 1965 as the second daughter in Shimizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Although it's not depicted in "Chibi Maruko-chan," her father was apparently a greengrocer.

We loved the grandpa character in the comic. He is so caring, kind and funny. It surprises us to learn that in the manga her grandfather is portrayed as Maruko's greatest supporter, but in reality, this was Sakura's idealized version. She revealed in an essay that their personalities were completely opposite, describing him as mean and cold, and someone she disliked the most.

Sakura first submitted a manga when she was in junior high school. After taking high school entrance exams and contemplating her future, she realized she still wanted to draw manga. She began seriously creating manga in her second year of high school.

In December 2018, she received the first "Shizuoka City Citizens' Honor Award."

In 2019, the Shimizu Central Library in Shizuoka City, located near Sakura's childhood home, established a permanent section dedicated to her manga and essays.

Sakura was also a heavy smoker and wrote in her books, "I am a huge lover of cigarettes. I smoke first thing in the morning, continuously from midday to evening while I work, and right up until I go to bed at night." She added, "Cigarettes bring me health. By smoking heavily, I am twenty times more conscious of my health than non-smokers. Smoking has made me realize the importance of health, and that I must maintain my health to continue smoking.". In the manga, we noticed Maruko's father smokes a lot. We guess she got influenced by her father to smoke.. She said she enjoyed smoking but it is very sad.

Sakura discovered she had breast cancer in her mid-40s. Despite this, she did not slow down her work pace and continued to create calm and humorous manga, such as "Chibi Maruko-chan," to entertain her readers while battling the illness.

Here are some famous quotes from "Chibi Maruko-chan":

"You can always do your homework later. What's important is to cherish this moment."  

— "Chibi Maruko-chan" Vol. 4

"A life bound by the future or the past is unnatural. The key is the present."  

— "Chibi Maruko-chan" Vol. 8

"I'll be a fool for my whole life. The foolishness never be mended until they die. If that's the case, I might as well live happy as a fool."  

— "Chibi Maruko-chan" Vol. 12

Manga makes life more enjoyable.

Chibi Maruko chan is one of the first manga comics we bought when we were little. It was the time when Chibi Maruko chan was on TV and we wanted to buy the comics. We collected some allowance from parents and bought the book..

On 15 August, 2018 Ms. Momoko Sakura passed away due to the breast cancer. She was survived by her husband and one son. 

On 15th of June 2024 TARAKO the voice actor of Maruko-chan passed away. (2024 Updated)

If you go to Shizuoka, please visit Chibi Maruko-chan land. 

What do you think about this news? What is your favorite Momoko's work? Share with us your view!

Source: Wikipedia

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