Masume Yoshimoto is a Japanese manga artist and the original creator behind the anime and manga series Kumamiko - Girl Meets Bear. Yoshimoto is from Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Early recognition came in 2003 when a short story was awarded the Maya Mineo Excellence Award at the 6th Annual Niigata Manga Prize.

Yoshimoto's professional debut and most notable work is the manga series Kumamiko - Girl Meets Bear. The series was serialized in Media Factory’s Monthly Comic Flapper magazine, beginning in April 2013 and concluding in December 2023. The complete series was compiled into twenty tankōbon volumes. The story follows Machi, a young shrine maiden living in a rural mountain village with Natsu, a talking bear who acts as her guardian. The central conflict arises from Machi’s desire to attend high school in a big city, a wish that Natsu opposes due to concerns for her safety. The manga was adapted into a twelve-episode anime television series that aired in Japan from April to June 2016, with two original video animation episodes released alongside the home video volumes. In the anime adaptation, Yoshimoto is officially credited as the original creator.

Beyond Kumamiko, Yoshimoto has authored several other manga works. These include Imomushi no Oyomesan, which was serialized in Enterbrain’s Fellows! magazine; Oshiire no Warashi-san, published in Monthly Comic Flapper; and Mahou Shoujo Omatsu, which ran in Kodansha’s Young Magazine 3rd. Yoshimoto also contributed to anthology series based on popular franchises, including Non Non Biyori and Demi-chan wa Kataritai. A more recent work is Honobono Isekai Tensei Days, a serialized isekai story that began publication in 2021.