Who Is Masashi Kishimoto? Age, Biography and Wiki
Masashi Kishimoto, born on November 8, 1974, is a celebrated Japanese manga artist best known for his work on the immensely popular series, Naruto. He grew up in the city of Nagi, in the Okayama Prefecture, where he discovered his passion for drawing at an early age. Despite facing financial difficulties in his early years, Kishimoto's dedication and talent eventually led him to achieve international fame. As of 2025, Kishimoto is 50 years old and continues to be an influential figure in the world of manga and anime.
| Occupation | Illustrator |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 8, 1974 |
| Age | 50 Years |
| Birth Place | Nagi, Okayama, Japan |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | Japan |
Popularity
Masashi Kishimoto's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Kishimoto maintains an average build, typical for many manga artists who often spend prolonged hours sketching and drawing. While specific measurements are not publicly available, he is estimated to be around 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall and weigh approximately 154 lbs (70 kg). His physical presence matches that of many artists, exuding a creative and passionate aura.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Kishimoto tends to keep his personal life private, but it has been reported that he is married and has children. His wife, whose identity remains largely out of the spotlight, supports his career as he continues to create compelling stories. Furthermore, his family plays a significant role in his life, often inspiring many themes found in his work. As of 2025, there are no public indications of any extramarital relationships; Kishimoto appears to be happily committed to his family life.
Kishimoto is the twin brother of Seishi Kishimoto, the author of 666 Satan and Blazer Drive. In 2003, Kishimoto married, but did not take a honeymoon with his wife until 2015 due to being busy with Naruto.
In the making of The Last: Naruto the Movie, Kishimoto based the idea of Hinata Hyuga wanting to make a scarf for Naruto Uzumaki on how his wife had once done the same for him. The couple has one son.
Net Worth and Salary
Masashi Kishimoto's net worth in 2025 is estimated to be around $20 million, largely accrued from his successful manga series, merchandise sales, anime adaptations, and various collaborations. His work on Naruto, which has sold over 250 million copies worldwide, has undoubtedly contributed to his financial success. Furthermore, his involvement in the sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, continues to bolster his earnings.
Career, Business and Investments
Kishimoto launched his career in the manga industry in the late 1990s, making his debut with the short manga Karasuke. However, it was in 1999 when he began the serialization of Naruto in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump, which became a global phenomenon. Following the series' conclusion in 2014, Kishimoto has remained active, supervising the Boruto series while also working on various other projects.
In addition to his prolific manga career, Kishimoto has ventured into other business opportunities, including animation collaborations, video game designs, and merchandise licensing, which have further solidified his status as a prominent figure in the manga and anime industry.
In his second year of college, Kishimoto started drawing manga for magazine contests. However, he noted that his works were similar to seinen manga, aimed towards an adult demographic, rather than the shōnen manga read by children and teenagers.
Wishing to write a manga for Shōnen Jump (which targets a young demographic), Kishimoto found his style unsuitable for the magazine. When watching the anime series Hashire Melos!, Kishimoto was surprised by the character designs employed by the animators and he started researching works from animators.
He later met Tetsuya Nishio, the designer from the anime adaptation of the manga Ninku, whom he deemed a big influence. Having emulated the drawing style of multiple character designers from anime series, Kishimoto noted that his own style began to resemble that of shōnen series.
Social Network
Masashi Kishimoto is somewhat reserved when it comes to his social media presence. While he doesn’t maintain personal social media accounts, his creations have a massive following on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where fans celebrate his work and discuss ongoing projects. His official website occasionally offers insights into his works and upcoming projects, making it a valuable resource for fans.
Following the failure of Karakuri, Kishimoto reduced his output and began moving in a seinen direction with drafts for a baseball manga, Yakyūō (野球王), and a mafia manga, Mario (マリオ), hoping to find better luck with a seinen magazine.
Yahagi persuaded him to give the shōnen genre one last shot and Kishimoto began working on storyboards for a fantasy one-shot, Magic Mushroom (マジックマッシュルーム), but stopped when Yahagi called and asked him to instead develop storyboards for serialization.
The two decided to submit a version of Naruto with a reworked story and world and produced storyboards for the first three chapters, winning a spot in the magazine. With a six-month lead time, Kishimoto repeatedly revised and redrew the first several chapters of the series.
Education
Kishimoto attended the Kyushu Sangyo University, where he studied art and design. His education laid the foundation for his undeniable talent in storytelling and illustration. He was influenced by his college experience, which helped him refine his artistic skills and ultimately pursue a successful career in manga creation.
In elementary school, Kishimoto started watching the Kinnikuman and Dragon Ball anime alongside his brother. During the following years, Kishimoto started idolizing Dragon Ball's creator Akira Toriyama, enjoying not only his series Dragon Ball and Dr.
Slump, but also Dragon Quest, a series of role-playing video games for which Toriyama is the character designer. While he could not afford to buy Weekly Shōnen Jump where the Dragon Ball manga was published, he followed the series thanks to a friend from school who had subscribed to the magazine.
By high school, Kishimoto started losing interest in manga as he started playing baseball and basketball, sports he practiced at his school. However, upon seeing a poster for the animated film Akira, Kishimoto became fascinated with the way the illustration was made and wished to imitate the series' creator Katsuhiro Otomo's style.
Other series he enjoyed reading are Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade; Ninku; and Ghost in the Shell.
