Yoshinori Kobayashi (Penname: 小林 よしのり, Real name: 小林 善範; Kobayashi Yoshinori, born in Fukuoka, Japan, August 31, 1953) is a bestselling Japanese conservative author and mangaka.
Kobayashi's publications include more than two hundred books/comics, but he is most famous for his controversial political commentary comics Gōmanism Sengen (ゴーマニズム宣言, roughly translated as "My arrogant declaration" or "Haughtiness Manifesto"). Among these, the book Neo Gomanism Manifesto Special - On War attracted overseas attention, including from newspapers The New York Times and Le Monde. His nickname is "Yoshirin" (よしりん, derived from the first two syllables of his given name plus the On reading of the Kanji 林), after which his staff team, Yoshirin Productions (Yoshirin Kikaku, よしりん企画) is named. He graduated from Fukuoka University with a major in French literature. He gained prominence for his intentionally provocative style in the politically delicate topics in Japan such as World War II revisionism, denial of the Nanking Massacre and other Japanese war crimes, praise for the Kamikaze, and anti-Americanism.
His first publication as a comic artist was Tōdai Itchokusen (東大一直線, Beeline to Tokyo U) (1976), published in Weekly Shōnen Jump when he was a student at Fukuoka University. Another of his early manga, Obocchama-kun (おぼっちゃまくん, Little Princeling) (1986), which won the 1989 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga,[1] is a satire about a haughty rich kid rising in the heyday of Japan's bubble economy. These long running series helped to establish his reputation as a mangaka. An anime adaptation of the series was produced, as well as Famicom and PC Engine video game adaptations.
He became one of the most well known conservative author/commentators among the young generation in Japan after a series of publication of Gomanism Sengen since 1992. Gomanism is well known for its covering of broad ranges of social and political issues such as worship at Yasukuni Shrine, Korean comfort women, the Nanking Massacre, Taiwan's independence from China, Japanese military independence from the US, Aum Shinrikyo, and revision of Japanese history textbooks. He is also a founder and editor-in-chief of the political magazine "Wascism" (わしズム Washizumu, a coinage consisting of washi, a colloquial word for "I", and -ism, roughly translated as "My own principle" -- the term also makes a neat pun-like association with "fascism," an anti-liberal, anti-individualist, racist political philosophy many of Kobayashi's Yamatoist pronouncements could be interpreted as enthusiastically endorsing) which offers the opinion space for other young conservative thinkers in Japan.
He often appears on political debate programs on Japanese TV, such as Asamade Namaterebi (朝まで生テレビ, Live Until The Morning).
In response to harsh criticism of the Aum Supreme Truth cult, a failed assassination attempt was made on his life by cult members. Kobayashi addresses the incident in later issues of Gomanism.
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His writings are considered controversial both inside and outside Japan. (some criticism/debunking/parody books have also been released). Many regard him as a far-right pundit. Some of his positions, such as his staunch anti-Americanism, are shared by leftists. Some of his views include:
Although On Taiwan has been translated into Traditional Chinese and released in Taiwan (ISBN 957-801-279-9) (where it aroused controversy and outcry) there are no planned translations of this or Kobayashi's other works into English or any other language.
   | ''Drawing up battle lines'' - The Standard, 2005 - The Standard - Drawing up battle lines - Focus Section |
| | ''Japan's Resurgent Far Right Tinkers With History'' - New York Times, 2001 - Japan's Resurgent Far Right Tinkers With History - The New York Times |
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