Akira Otani (born 1981) is a Japanese manga artist from Yamanashi Prefecture. In 2004, his work “Messenger” received recognition in Weekly Shonen Sunday’s Manga College competition. He later illustrated series including “LOST+BRAIN,” “TOOL!,” and “Nippen!” His representative work, “Shōjiki Fudōsan,” is a manga based on a concept by Takeshi Natsuhara, scripted by Mitsuhiro Mizuno, and illustrated by Otani. Through the work of real estate agent Saichi Nagase, who suddenly becomes unable to lie, the series explains rental agreements, subleases, sale-and-leaseback arrangements, land fraud, and the conflicting interests of agents, property owners, and tenants. It was adapted into NHK television series in 2022 and 2024, followed by special and spin-off dramas and a feature film in 2026.
