Natsumi Matsumoto is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, born on May 2, 1968, in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, Japan. She made her professional debut as a manga creator in 1993 with the short story Guuzen Janai Yo! (No Coincidence!), published in the magazine Ribon Original. Her early career consisted primarily of short-form manga, and for several years, none of her serialized works exceeded a run of six chapters.

Matsumoto achieved her first major long-form success with the fantasy series Saint Dragon Girl (also known as St. Dragon Girl), which began serialization in 1999. The series, which follows a young martial artist who fights demons alongside her childhood friend, ran for four years and was followed by a sequel titled Saint Dragon Girl Miracle. Her other notable manga series include Angel Time, Alice kara Magic, and the short work Kuroneko Kaiki Club.

Matsumoto is best known internationally as the original creator of Yumeiro Pâtissière (Yumeiro Patissiere), a manga series that began serialization in 2008 in Shueisha's Ribon magazine. The story follows Ichigo Amano, a young girl with a passion for sweets who enrolls in a prestigious pastry academy and encounters the "sweet spirits" of the cake kingdom. This manga was adapted into a 50-episode anime television series that aired from 2009 to 2010. Following the success of the first anime, Matsumoto is credited as the original creator for the sequel series Yumeiro Pâtissière SP Professional, a 13-episode season that aired in 2010. An animated film, Yume-iro Patissiere: Mune Kyun Tropical Island!, was also released in 2010, with Matsumoto again receiving credit for the original work.

Recurring elements in Matsumoto's body of work include a strong fantasy component, often blending supernatural themes with school-life settings and light romantic comedy. Her artistic style is characterized by large, expressive eyes, vibrant color illustrations, and a cute, accessible aesthetic typical of shoujo manga published in Ribon magazine. In addition to her original series, she has also worked as an illustrator adapting Harlequin romance novels into manga format.

Beyond her creative work, Matsumoto has also served as an editor for a manga supplement publication. In her personal time, she has studied Chinese and practices tai chi, and she enjoys visiting aquariums and collecting toy prizes from Japanese snack foods.