Osamu Akimoto is a Japanese manga artist born on December 11, 1952, in the Katsushika ward of Tokyo, Japan. Before beginning his career as a manga creator, he worked at the animation studio Tatsunoko Production, contributing to series such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. He made his manga debut in 1976 with the series Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo, commonly shortened to Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops, initially using the pen name Tatsuhiko Yamadome before switching to his real name in 1978.

Akimoto is most renowned for creating Kochikame, a comedy manga that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump continuously for 40 years, from September 1976 to September 2016. The series, which follows the misadventures of police officer Kankichi Ryotsu and his colleagues at a small police box in Tokyo, compiled 1,960 chapters into 201 tankōbon volumes. With over 155 million copies sold, it stands as one of the best-selling manga series in history, and in September 2016 it received a Guinness World Record for Most volumes published for a single manga series. The immense popularity of the manga led to a substantial media franchise, including multiple anime adaptations. A long-running anime television series produced by Studio Gallop aired on Fuji TV from June 1996 to August 2003. The franchise also includes several animated films, such as the movie Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo The Movie 2. To commemorate the manga's 40th anniversary and its conclusion, a one-hour anime special titled Kochikame THE FINAL: Ryōtsu Kankichi Saigo no Hi was produced and aired on September 18, 2016. This special, directed by Akira Shigeno at Studio Gallop, follows Princess Sabrina who is kidnapped during a visit to Japan and subsequently rescued by the protagonist Kankichi Ryotsu.

Beyond his signature work, Akimoto has created several other manga series. He started the action comedy Mr. Clice in 1985, which follows a Japanese secret agent and has been published irregularly across different Shueisha magazines. In 2017, he launched three new series in three different magazines: the Western Black Tiger in Grand Jump, the high school story Finder: Kyoto Jogakuin Monogatari in Weekly Young Jump, and the bathhouse comedy Ii Yu da ne! in Ultra Jump. Akimoto has also produced various one-shot stories, including Vocalo for a shōjo magazine and Allie, Shoot Your Gun for Grand Jump.

The work of Osamu Akimoto is firmly rooted in the comedy genre, with Kochikame serving as the definitive example of his artistic identity. The series is known for its gag-driven, self-contained plots that often revolve around Ryotsus get-rich-quick schemes, which invariably fail in humorous ways. A significant aspect of the mangas longevity and appeal is its use of contemporary Japanese pop culture, real-world events, and a wide cast of eccentric characters, from a timid motorcycle policeman who becomes aggressive on his bike to a wealthy officer who drives different Ferraris. This approach allowed generations of readers to enjoy the series without needing prior knowledge of past storylines. Akimoto’s background in animation and his disciplined approach to scheduling, which he later explained in a business tips book, contributed to his ability to maintain a weekly series for four decades.

Osamu Akimoto holds significant importance in the manga and anime industry, primarily due to the historic run of Kochikame. The series is a cornerstone of Weekly Shōnen Jump and has influenced both readers and other creators. His achievements have been widely recognized. He won a Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2005 for Kochikame. In 2016, he received the Kikuchi Kan Prize for creating the series for 40 years without interruption. The following year, Kochikame earned the Special Prize at the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and a Seiun Award for Best Comic. In 2019, the Japanese government awarded him the Medal with Purple Ribbon for his contributions to the arts.