Takashi Yano is a Japanese author born in 1976, known for his work in novelizations and manga adaptations of major media franchises. He began his literary career by winning the Shosetsu Subaru Newcomer Award in 2008 for his work Jashu. Before his involvement with popular anime and manga properties, Yano established himself as a writer of historical period dramas.

Yano is best recognized as the author of several light novels set in the Naruto universe, a franchise originally created by Masashi Kishimoto. He wrote the two-volume Itachi Shinden series, which includes Itachi's Story: Daylight and Itachi's Story: Midnight. These novels, published in Japan in 2015 by Shueisha, explore the backstory of the popular character Itachi Uchiha. His other contributions to the Naruto franchise include Shikamaru's Story, Sakura's Story, and Kakashi's Story. These prose novels were later adapted into anime episodes, extending the narrative of the original manga and anime series.

Beyond the Naruto series, Yano has expanded his portfolio by working on other prominent international properties. He wrote the manga adaptation of the video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, titled Assassin's Creed: Awakening, with illustrations by Kenzi Oiwa. This series was first serialized in the magazine Jump X. Yano has also written novelizations for the Street Fighter franchise, including the novel Street Fighter: The Novel, which features characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, and Guile.

As a writer, Yano plays a significant role in the media mix industry, where original manga or game concepts are expanded into prose novels and other formats. His body of work demonstrates a focus on adapting and expanding the lore of established action-oriented franchises, contributing to their depth and reach. He is not a voice actor but a writer whose work has been officially translated and published internationally by companies such as VIZ Media and Titan Comics.