Industrial and mechanical designer Katsushi Murakami died on July 20 at the age of 83. Murakami joined Bandai in 1961 and later became a key figure at Popy, where his work helped bridge television character design and mass-produced toys during the rise of Japan’s robot and tokusatsu merchandising industry.


Among his most influential achievements was the original Chogokin Mazinger Z toy, released in 1974. Murakami helped develop the die-cast concept around a combination of detailed styling, substantial weight and play features, establishing an approach that became closely associated with Japanese robot toys. He later contributed mechanical and merchandising designs to numerous productions, including Tetsujin 28-go, God Mars, Golion, Battle Fever J and Kamen Rider Black.


Murakami’s work extended beyond adapting existing designs for merchandise; he also participated directly in planning productions such as Brave Raideen, helping coordinate how on-screen machines could translate into functional toys. His career helped shape the relationship between anime, tokusatsu and character merchandising that remains central to Japan’s entertainment industry.