The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China has put out a statement in regards to the death of Akira Toriyama, who was best known for his work on Dragon Ball. Netizens uploaded a clip of the statement onto TikTok and Twitter. [Thanks, Wanli2051!]
Here is a translation of the minister’s statement:
“We express our deepest sympathies in regards to Akira Toriyama-sensei’s passing, and we would like to give our sincere condolences to his family. Toriyama-sensei was a very famous manga artist, and his work has been very popular in China too. I’ve noticed many Chinese netizens express their grief for his passing as well. We believe, and trust, that there will be more talented artists and writers from Japan whose work will leave a cultural impact on China, leading to further friendship between our countries.”
Dragon Ball is an incredibly influential work, and it originally drew inspiration from the Chinese novel Journey to the West, as well as Hong Kong martial arts films. Son Goku’s name is the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong, a mischievous and proud monkey who is one of the protagonists of the Journey to the West.
Akira Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, but news of his passing first appeared on March 7, 2024. Aside from Dragon Ball, he also worked on Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest. After his death, his name and “Rest in Peace” trended on Twitter (X), showing the effect he had on people worldwide.
Akira Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, and there will be a commemorative gathering for him some time int he future.
