山藤章二さん死去、８７歳　イラストレーター

　芸能人や政治家の似顔絵を風刺を交えて巧みに描き、人気を集めたイラストレーターの山藤章二（やまふじ・しょうじ）さんが３０日、老衰のため東京都内で死去した。８７歳だった。葬儀は近親者で行う。喪主は長男大地（だいち）さん。
　１９３７年、東京都生まれ。武蔵野美術学校（現武蔵野美術大）を卒業後、広告会社勤務を経て６４年にイラストレーターとして独立。自著「世相あぶり出し」での風刺漫画や故野坂昭如さんの連載小説「エロトピア」の挿絵で注目され、７０年に講談社出版文化賞、翌年に文芸春秋漫画賞を受賞した。
　７６年から週刊朝日に連載した「山藤章二のブラック・アングル」は、時の人の似顔絵や社会風刺を独自のタッチで描いて好評を博した。最終ページに掲載されたことから「週刊朝日を後ろから開かせる男」とも言われた。８１年からは「山藤章二の似顔絵塾」も連載し、共に２０２１年まで続いた。
　８３年に菊池寛賞、０４年には紫綬褒章を受けた。（2024/09/30-18:50）

Japanese illustrator Shoji Yamafuji, known for his popular caricatures of politicians and celebrities, died Monday of old age in Tokyo. He was 87.
   Born in Tokyo in 1937, Yamafuji graduated from then Musashino Art School and became an independent illustrator in 1964 after working for an advertising agency.
   Satirical cartoons in his self-authored book and his illustrations in a book written by the deceased novelist Akiyuki Nosaka drew attention. Yamafuji received a prize from Japanese publisher Kodansha Ltd. in 1970 and from Bungeishunju Ltd., another Japanese publisher, the following year.
   In his "Black Angle of Shoji Yamafuji" cartoon series, published in the then Shukan Asahi weekly magazine, he depicted popular people of the day and social satire with a unique touch, and they were well received. He was known as "a man who leads people to open the magazine from its back" since his works were always on the last page.
   Yamafuji launched another series, "Portrait School by Shoji Yamafuji," in the magazine in 1981. Both series continued until 2021.