Born March 20, 1918 in Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture.

While working as an art teacher, he also worked on book binding, quit his teaching profession in 1958 and became independent as a painter.

Debuted in 1968 with the picture book without sentences "Mysterious Nae".Since then, he has continued to release many works that are full of originality due to his curiosity and imagination, and works that depict landscapes with a gentle atmosphere with pale watercolors.

In addition, many of the "mysterious pictures," "upside down," "ABC books," and "travel picture books" are highly evaluated overseas, and are published in various countries and have many fans.On March 20, 2001, his 75th birthday, the "Anno Mitsumasa Museum" was opened in his hometown of Tsuwano.For many achievements, the Brooklyn Museum Award (USA), Kate Greenaway Award Special Award (UK), BIB Golden Apple Award (Czechoslovakia), Hans Christian Andersen Award, Painter Award, Purple Ribbon Award, 56th Kikuchi Kan Prize, etc. have been given.

Representative works include "Mysterious", "ABC Book", "Geocentric Picture Book", "Travel Picture Book", "The Tale of the Heike Ryomoto", "Picture Book Sangokushi" and Ryotaro Shiba's travelogue "Going on the Road".

 

He passed away on December 24, 2020 at the age of 94.