Tamakichi Sakura is the primary pen name of Akira Nozawa, a Japanese manga artist and original creator born in Tokyo on March 2, 1961. He is also professionally known by the pen name Charlie Nozawa, particularly for works released outside of Japan. Sakura studied at Tama Art University, an education that preceded his entry into the manga industry.

Sakura began serializing his most significant work, the manga Shiawase no Katachi (The Shape of Happiness), in 1986. The series ran in NES Communication magazine, which would later become known as Famitsu, until 1994. The manga is a gag comic that took various formats over its publication history. This work served as the basis for the original anime adaptation Figures of Happiness, a four-episode original animation video series produced by Production I.G and released from 1990 to 1991, for which Sakura is credited as the original creator.

Beyond this signature work, Sakura’s career includes significant contributions to game-related media and character design. Under the name Charlie Nozawa, he collaborated with writer Kentaro Takekuma as the artist for the Super Mario Adventures comic. The serialized stories ran in Nintendo Power magazine in 1992 and were later collected into a graphic novel. He also contributed character designs for several video games, including Dungeon Land, Pikiinya!, and the Sansara Naga series.

Sakura’s artistic identity is rooted in comedic storytelling, often working within the framework of game culture magazines. His influence extends to other notable creators; manga artist Hiroyuki Takei, best known for Shaman King, worked as an assistant to Sakura on The Shape of Happiness early in his career. The serialization of Sakura’s signature manga experienced interruptions attributed to the author’s personal challenges.