What were you like when you were younger (say in middle school or high school)?
I had manga on the brain, and I was constantly drawing, hardly ever doing my homework. In short, a bit of a brat.
How did growing up in a rural environment influence your manga, or your personality in general?
This is a story set in a slow-paced, relaxed setting, far away from capitalist society. My personality is very slow-paced, too, so that's why I often just barely meet my deadlines for the manga.
I've heard that you were a huge fan of Akira Toriyama's Dragonball and Dr. Slump. What was your favorite storyline in Dragonball? Or, if you prefer, who was your favorite character?
I love all the stories up until the first appearance of Freeza. My favorite character is Kuririn, because he has the most "human" feel, and I really associate myself with him.
When you were young, you were attacked by monkeys. Can you tell us about the experience?
I accidentally stepped on a young monkey, and the alpha male of the group and the mother of the monkey attacked me. Ever since then, I have been afraid of monkeys. But these days, I look back on the incident and realize that the protective, nurturing aspect of the monkey is just the same as what a human would feel.
You grew up next to a military base, and the ninja in Naruto behave something like a military force, with discipline and training. Are you a military enthusiast, and did you ever consider joining the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF)?
I don't really consider myself a military enthusiast. Where I grew up didn't actually have a military base, as Japanese doesn't have a military, just a Self-Defense Force. What I did was use the training ground for the SDF as reference, in addition to books on the Mossad and the SAS. I never wanted to join the JSDF, as I wanted to draw manga.
I've heard that you were most inspired by Akira -- the anime, and the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo. Why is this, and what inspired you?
I consider Akira (1988) to be the first Japanese anime to use the "fresco" style of art. Unlike the other works during that time, the character designs, lines, and sense were very realistic, as was the manga itself. Even the buildings were very detailed, and the sheer amount of information that the art conveyed was incredible. It was a very cool science fiction manga. I think it's also the reason anime became so popular in the U.S. I got a bunch of storyboards for Akira when I was 14, and remember constantly copying them.
What was it like going to art school? What was the most useful thing you learned there?
I trained in plaster mediums and the drawing of the human body to increase my skills as a design artist. I also learned graphic design, coloring, and perspectives. Manga is still an art form that you pick up by yourself -- that's the current reality of the Japanese manga industry. Although the drawing skills that I learned in art school were quite useful, I had the abilities of drawing and perspective prior to entering art school. Thus, going to art school was more of a step backward for me.
What was it like being "trained" to be a professional manga artist fro Weekly Shonen Jump? What kinds of things did you learn?
Of course, art is a big part of being a manga artist, but equally important is being able to write a story well. I do pretty much everything by myself, from the characters to the story to the backgrounds. Also, receiving advice from the editor is important, but I think getting a good editor who is supportive of you is key.
You played baseball as a kid, and at one point you considered making a baseball manga. Do you still follow baseball? If so, what is your favorite team?
I love playing baseball, but I don't really like watching it. I don't have a favorite team in Japan. If Japan had major league teams as impressive as the Americans, I might have a team I would root for.
I've heard that you are a fan of traditional Japanese adventure stories. Do you like chanbara eiga [sword fighting movies set in Japan's feudal period] or historical fiction?
I like chanbara, but the recent chanbara films don't have the feel that the older movies have, and I'm not a big fan of the recent ones. I'm hoping a much cooler director comes out and creates an awesome chanbara film. (In Japan, chanbara films are typically produced by aging directors who are completely behind the times. It's difficult for new directors with fresh ideas to be accepted by the old-school Japanese film industry.)
Especially since the early 1980s, ninja have been very popular in American movies and comics. Have you been inspired by any American ninja stories?
I know a little bit about the popularity of Sho Kosugi [star of many action movies] during that period, as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'm happy, from the perspective of someone from Japan, to see the new way ninjas are perceived in America. Although I hear there are some people who are upset about how the entire "ninja mythology" has been screwed up because of it.
This may be an American misconception, but when I think of "ninja" I think of figures wearing completely black outfits, usually with masks. But the ninjas in Naruto look completely unlinke this old stereotype. How did you come up with the interesting "Konoha Style" of the ninjas in Naruto?
If I created a world that recycles the traditional concept of a ninja it would have ended up just like all the other ninja manga. I wanted to create a ninja world with a twist, something fresh, so I completely threw out the preconceived notions of what a ninja should be like. Besides, Naruto is a blond-haired ninja wearing yellow clothing, who is supposed to be part of a secret intelligence gathering organization. There's no way that a ninja who stands out that much would really exist. (laughs)
Samurai are of almost equal fame to ninja, and in pop culture, in some ways, they seem like the opposite of ninja -- forthright instead of sneaky. Are there any powerful samurai in the world of Naruto, or are ninja the overwhelmingly dominate power in this world?
I do have a few samurai characters: Zouri and Waraji (although they're kind of "lame" samurai). But there are way too many samurai manga out there, so to stay original I'll continue the ninja stories.
The character Jiraiya, who appears in Naruto, is based on a legendary ninja. Is Naruto inspired by any other particular legends?
Jiraiya is about the only character who is like that; the others are all original.
Your work seems to have a science fiction influence. Approximately speaking, what is the level of technology in the world of Naruto?
Actually, the world of Naruto doesn't differ very much from our present time. Television, refrigerators and air conditioners exist in the world. The only exceptions are weapons and explosives, which I've decided to set in a much earlier era. That's why you don't see firearms in the world of Naruto.
Many Shonen Jump manga have puns for character names, so can you explain some puns in the name of Naruto characters? I know that Naruto is a world for the spiral fishcakes in ramen... But I've also heard of a place off the sea of Japanese called the Naruto Uzumaki (the Naruto whirlpools), like Naruto's first and last name.
Uzumaki (spirals) are a very cool Japanese pattern. Weekly Shonen Jump's philosophy for naming characters is to create a name that the readers can easily associate with the character, by combining it with puns and gags.
How did you develop the chakra power system in Naruto? Are you interested in East Indian mysticism?
I actually have no interest in East Indian mysticism. I need a hook to tie in those points in the story when the characters would use powers that were beyond normal human capabilities. The term is chakra, which is used as an explanation for readers to better understand the powers. It's similar to "the Force" in Star Wars, or chi (aka ki) in Dragonball, or "magic points" in RPGs.
How did you develop the mystic hand gestures used by the ninja in Naruto?
As an alternative to the standard verbal method of casting spells, like in RPGs, the ninja use hand gestures instead.
In Naruto, the frog seems to be associated with the character Naruto. Also, in an early drawing you associate the snake with Sasuke, and the snail with Sakura. What about these animals caused you to connect them with these characters? Are ninja associated with frogs in Japan?
When you talk about ninjas, you invariably talk about frogs. There is a ninja manga whose main character is "Hattori-kun," who (as a joke in the story) does not like frogs, so this connection between ninjas are frogs is a close one [in Japanese Folklore, frogs are considered magical animals, and the oil from a frog's skin is a traditional ointment for wounds and other ailments]. The triad of snake, snail and frog is from Japanese mythology. The snake is more powerful than the frog, the snail is more powerful than the snake, and the frog is more powerful than the snail, making a "paper, rock, scissors" sort of situation. These three are collectively called the Sansukumi.
What inspired you to do a story about a demon fox? What interests you about kitsune (foxes)?
Because the kitsune (fox), in particular the kyubi no yôko (Nine-Tailed Fox), is considered to be one of the most powerful supernatural beasts.
What is the relationship of Naruto and the demon fox? Was the demon fox killed and reincarnated inside of Naruto's body, or was it sealed inside the baby Naruto without dying? Are there two souls within Naruto's body, in the mystical sense, or is it more like two personalities, in the psychological sense?
The demon fox has been sealed inside of Naruto without having been killed. It's because the Nine-Tailed Fox couldn't be killed, so they had no choice but to seal it away... probably... which is why there are two personalities inside of Naruto.
Do you get more fan letters from boys or girls? Do boys and girls like different things about the series?
Fan letters are typically written by girls, as it seems that "boys don't write letters." About 90% of the fan letters seem to be from girls, even though the majority of reader are supposed to be boys. It was like that when I used to read Weekly Shonen Jump as a kid, and apparently it's the same today.
Naruto and Sasuke kiss (accidentally) in the first chapter where they appear together. Does this add a special dimension to their rivalry?
I didn't have any particular reason for it, other than to surprise the readers. I mainly did it because I don't think there has ever been a manga where two rivals have kissed. Also, by having this encounter, it was easier to set up the love triangle: Sakura, who had intended to be the first one to kiss Sasuke, has it stolen by her rival Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto are rivals, so there's added tension there. And so on and so fourth.
Is there ever going to be a manga adaptation of Ichalcha Paradise [Make-Out Paradise]?
NEVER.
In closing, what advice would you give to fans who are interested in becoming artists themselves?
Creating manga isn't just about drawing well, but writing a good story. Keep the art and story real, and you can't lose. Also, watch a lot of good Hollywood movies. Those who rail against the entertainment industry are just being close-minded.
lifted from: narutobuzz