Yoshizumi, Wataru

Wataru Yoshizumi (吉住 渉, Yoshizumi Wataru) is a Japanese manga artist. She was born as Mariko Nakai (中井 真里子, Nakai Mariko) on June 18, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated with a degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University. Yoshizumi started her career as a Japanese manga artist while working as an office lady. Her debut manga was a yomikiri (short story) called "Radical Romance" that was published in 1984, in the summer issue of Ribon Original. She is known as a social manga artist, and is a good friend of fellow manga artists Naoko Takeuchi, Ai Yazawa, Miho Obana, and Megumi Mizusawa. As of 2011, Yoshizumi has had works serialized in Ribon, Chorus, and Margaret.