Keiji Asou

Gosho Aoyama and four of his assistants (Negishi, Tani, Asou and Yamagishi) in a *Detective Conan* omake.
[Gosho Aoyama](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama "Gosho Aoyama") gets support by a group of mostly 5 to 7[](#cite_note-1)[](#cite_note-2) **assistants** during the work at his manga, which is a rather unusually high number for the industry. Most of them are friends from his days back at the [Ekoda](/wiki/Ekoda "Ekoda") Campus (Fine Arts) of [Nihon University](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_University "wikipedia:Nihon University"), who were part of the same Manga Research Club.[](#cite_note-3)[](#cite_note-4)[](#cite_note-singapore-5)[](#cite_note-6)[](#cite_note-7) They also help him coming up with names for the characters[](#cite_note-8) and the featured detective in the [Detective Picture Book](/wiki/Detective_Picture_Book "Detective Picture Book").[](#cite_note-9) Several of them grouped together as the [Ekoda Detective Group](/wiki/Ekoda_Detective_Group "Ekoda Detective Group") and created the *[Detective Conan Special](/wiki/Detective_Conan_Special "Detective Conan Special")* manga together with [Yutaka Abe](/wiki/Yutaka_Abe "Yutaka Abe"), [Denjiro Maru](/wiki/Denjiro_Maru "Denjiro Maru"), [Masaru Ohta](/wiki/Masaru_Ohta "Masaru Ohta") and [Kazuhiro Kubota](/wiki/Kazuhiro_Kubota "Kazuhiro Kubota").
## Contents
* [1 Assistants](#Assistants)
+ [1.1 Eiichi Yamagishi](#Eiichi_Yamagishi)
+ [1.2 Keiji Asou](#Keiji_Asou)
+ [1.3 Hotori Kurosato](#Hotori_Kurosato)
+ [1.4 Koichi Kishida](#Koichi_Kishida)
+ [1.5 Masaki Negishi](#Masaki_Negishi)
+ [1.6 Ryo Kameshiro](#Ryo_Kameshiro)
+ [1.7 Yutaka Tani](#Yutaka_Tani)
* [2 Unknown female assistant](#Unknown_female_assistant)
* [3 Related person](#Related_person)
+ [3.1 Yutaka Abe](#Yutaka_Abe)
* [4 Trivia](#Trivia)
* [5 References](#References)
## Assistants[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: Assistants")]
### Eiichi Yamagishi[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Eiichi Yamagishi")]
Eiichi Yamagishi from an omake by Masaki Negishi
Main articles: [Eiichi Yamagishi (staff)](/wiki/Eiichi_Yamagishi_(staff) "Eiichi Yamagishi (staff)") and [Eiichi Yamagishi (Character)](/wiki/Eiichi_Yamagishi_(Character) "Eiichi Yamagishi (Character)")
Eiichi Yamagishi (山岸 栄一 ,*Yamagishi Eiichi*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is in charge of designing architecture and technical stuff, like vehicles[](#cite_note-10) and weapons[](#cite_note-11) and assists Gosho since his first manga.
He has several characters and places designed and/or named after him in their works: He appears as a [kitsune](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune "wikipedia:Kitsune")-like student at the school in *[Nonchalant Lupin](/wiki/Nonchalant_Lupin "Nonchalant Lupin")* and got cameos as a member of the "film crew" in the first and last omakes of *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")*. He also has some background cameos. He furthermore shows up as an unwitting customer in [Kumo-Otoko](/wiki/Kumo-Otoko "Kumo-Otoko")'s restaurant in *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")* who gets chased away. There are also several stores named after him in the series. As "Yamagishi-san" he's a member of [Shigeo Nagashima](/wiki/index.php?title=Shigeo_Nagashima&action=edit&redlink=1 "Shigeo Nagashima (page does not exist)")'s baseball team at [Kohnan High School](/wiki/Kohnan_High_School "Kohnan High School") in *[3rd Base 4th](/wiki/3rd_Base_4th "3rd Base 4th")*, as well as a manager of [Yoko Okino](/wiki/Yoko_Okino "Yoko Okino") in *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")* and *[Zero's Tea Time](/wiki/Zero%27s_Tea_Time "Zero's Tea Time")*. In the omakes of the second to last series he is "Detective Puppet Yama-chan".
His own works include *Cocktail & Bar Course* (カクテル&バー講座 ,*Kakuteru & Bā Kōza*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), a guide to bars and cocktails in the form of a manga, and *Secrets of Buddhism* (Bukkyō no Himitsu ,*仏教のひみつ*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), another guide about buddhism, also in manga form.[](#cite_note-12)[](#cite_note-13)
### Keiji Asou[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Keiji Asou")]
Self-portrait of Keiji Asou
Keiji Asou (麻生 圭二 ,*Asou Keiji*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is another assistant active for him since his first work and seemingly helps Gosho with inking the manuscripts and sharing two side-by-side desks with Masaki Negishi.
He lent his name to Dr. Asou in *[Nonchalant Lupin](/wiki/Nonchalant_Lupin "Nonchalant Lupin")* (which he also appears in as a student independent of that character), the natural sciences teacher [Keiji Asou](/wiki/index.php?title=Keiji_Asou_(Magic_Kaito)&action=edit&redlink=1 "Keiji Asou (Magic Kaito) (page does not exist)") in *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")* (in which he also appeared as a member of the "film crew" working on the series in [Volume 5](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_5 "Magic Kaito Volume 5")), as one of the "men of Japan" in drag in *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")* and [Keiji](/wiki/Keiji_Asou "Keiji Asou") and [Seiji Asou](/wiki/index.php?title=Seiji_Asou&action=edit&redlink=1 "Seiji Asou (page does not exist)") in *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")*. In the omakes of the latter he's the "Homicide Detective" and the "Detective General".
### Hotori Kurosato[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Hotori Kurosato")]
Self-portrait of Hotori Kurosato
Hotori Kurosato (黒郷 ほとり ,*Kurosato Hotori*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), real name Natsuko Shibuya (澁谷 夏子 ,*Shibuya Natsuko*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is an assistant that worked for Gosho somewhere during the serialization of *Detective Conan*. Their own work, *Lisa's Inedible Table* (リサの食べられない食卓 ,*Risa no Taberarenai Shokutaku*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), got recommended by Gosho. They appeared in [Volume 100](/wiki/Volume_100 "Volume 100") omake. Natsuko Shibuya from "[Elementary Teacher Assault](/wiki/Volume_84#Elementary_Teacher_Assault "Volume 84")" is named after them.
### Koichi Kishida[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Koichi Kishida")]
Self-portrait of Koichi Kichida
Koichi Kishida (岸田 晃一 ,*Kishida Kōichi*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is often shown as a rather huge guy (with the P.E. teacher based on him getting called a "gorilla" by [Conan Edogawa](/wiki/Conan_Edogawa "Conan Edogawa")) with a contrasting shy and poetic personality, often depicting himself as some kind of parody on [Waldo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where%27s_Wally%3F "wikipedia:Where's Wally?"). He's an assistant of Gosho since at least somewhere during the run of *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")*. For Gosho's website [Conatsu](http://www.conatsu.com/) he created a short manga about [Ayumi Yoshida](/wiki/Ayumi_Yoshida "Ayumi Yoshida"), *[Ayumi no Yabō: Zenkoku-ban](http://www.conatsu.com/ayumi/index.htm)* ("Ayumi's Ambition: Nationwide Edition").
The anime version of the very first murder victim, Kishida, the [Teitan High School](/wiki/Teitan_High_School "Teitan High School")'s P.E. teacher Mr. Kishida (also serving as a model) and several stores seen during *Yaiba* and *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")* are named after him. Furthermore, he's one of the "men of Japan" dressed in drag in *Yaiba*. He also appears as a member of the "film crew" working on *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")* in [Volume 5](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_5 "Magic Kaito Volume 5"). In the *Detective Conan* omakes he's the "Big Head Detective" and "Poet of Life".
* Ayumi drawn by Koichi Kishida
* *Ayumi no Yabō: Zenkoku-ban* by Koichi Kishida
### Masaki Negishi[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: Masaki Negishi")]
Self-portrait of Masaki Negishi
Masaki Negishi (根岸 正樹 ,*Negishi Masaki*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is an assistant supporting Gosho since his first work and seems to help him with inking the manga manuscripts, sitting next to Keiji Asou. He also has a sub-page on Gosho's website [Conatsu](http://www.conatsu.com/), "[Chef Negishi no Cooking Book](http://www.conatsu.com/library/yashoku/index.htm)", an online cook recipe book. According to Gosho, he has hayfever, which causes him to associate spring with Negishi's sneezing.[](#cite_note-14)
He's got several background cameos in *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")* and appears as a balloon figure and a member of the "film crew" working on *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")* in the omake of [Volume 5](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_5 "Magic Kaito Volume 5"). [Masaki Negishi](/wiki/Masaki_Negishi "Masaki Negishi") and [Akio Negishi](/wiki/index.php?title=Akio_Negishi&action=edit&redlink=1 "Akio Negishi (page does not exist)") in *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")* were named (and the latter seemingly modeled) after him and in the omakes he's the "Chubby Detective", as well as "The Once Chubby, Now Fat Detective". He can also be seen together with Yutaka Tani in a TV show [Kogoro Mouri](/wiki/Kogoro_Mouri "Kogoro Mouri") watches.
### Ryo Kameshiro[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: Ryo Kameshiro")]
Self-portrait of Ryo Kameshiro
Ryo Kameshiro (神城 亮 ,*Kameshiro Ryō*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), real name Sana Murakami (村上 紗菜 ,*Murakami Sana*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), is an assistant that worked for Gosho somewhere during the serialization of *Detective Conan*. They appeared in [Volume 100](/wiki/Volume_100 "Volume 100") omake. Sana Murakami from "[Black Bunny's Club Case](/wiki/Volume_95#Black_Bunny.27s_Club_Case "Volume 95")" is named after them.
### Yutaka Tani[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: Yutaka Tani")]
Self-portrait of Yutaka Tani
Yutaka Tani (谷 豊 ,*Tani Yutaka*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")) is one of the assistants working with Gosho since his first manga. He sits right across him in the studio and seemingly helps him with layouting/sketching the manuscripts. He also seemingly is the person mainly responsible for maintaining Gosho's website [Conatsu](http://www.conatsu.com/) and made several artworks and graphics for it, including the character roulette, where he's also got his own private sub-page, "[Super Lovely Sonoko!! Fanpage](http://www.conatsu.com/library/sonoko/index.htm)", a fan website about [Sonoko Suzuki](/wiki/Sonoko_Suzuki "Sonoko Suzuki") and her seiyu.
During his cameos he's often depicted as a man with sunglasses and distinct lips, sometimes being drunk. In this function he appears as a dancing drunken man on [Aoko Nakamori](/wiki/Aoko_Nakamori "Aoko Nakamori")'s [Christmas](/wiki/Christmas "Christmas") party in "[Star War](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_3#Star_War "Magic Kaito Volume 3")" from [Volume 3](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_3 "Magic Kaito Volume 3") of *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")*, as well as part of the "film crew" working on the series in the omake of [Volume 5](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_5 "Magic Kaito Volume 5"). He also appears several times in *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")*, also being one of the "men of Japan" dressed in drag. In *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")* he can be seen together with Masaki Negishi in a TV show [Kogoro Mouri](/wiki/Kogoro_Mouri "Kogoro Mouri") watches and in the omakes he's the "Alcoholic Detective".
* Conan drawn by Yutaka Tani
* Professor Agasa and Ai drawn by Yutaka Tani
* Heiji and Kazuha drawn by Yutaka Tani
* Sato and Takagi drawn by Yutaka Tani
* Shuichi/Char from the website roulette by Yutaka Tani
## Unknown female assistant[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=9 "Edit section: Unknown female assistant")]
Gosho Aoyama has a younger female assistant supporting him since 2011[](#cite_note-15), also drawing several of the background and unnamed side characters appearing in the manga chapters since 2016[](#cite_note-singapore-5). A young woman appears as part of the "film crew" working on *[Magic Kaito](/wiki/Magic_Kaito "Magic Kaito")* in the background of the omake from [Volume 5](/wiki/Magic_Kaito_Volume_5 "Magic Kaito Volume 5") with the other assistants who probably is supposed to be her, carrying away a prop tree. While her name is never revealed, two new assistants are revealed in [Volume 100](/wiki/Volume_100 "Volume 100") omake (Hotori Kurosato and Ryo Kameshiro), indicating that the mentioned female assistant could be one of them.
* A couple from FILE.983 drawn by the female assistant
* People at the beach in FILE.998 drawn by the female assistant
## Related person[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=10 "Edit section: Related person")]
### Yutaka Abe[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=11 "Edit section: Yutaka Abe")]
Self-portrait of Yutaka Abe
Main article: [Yutaka Abe](/wiki/Yutaka_Abe "Yutaka Abe")
Yutaka Abe (阿部 ゆたか ,*Abe Yutaka*[?](/wiki/Help:Japanese "Help:Japanese")), a prolific mangaka himself since the seventies, became known in Japan for original works like *FIGHT!*, *Hai! Step Jun!* (which was also adapted as an anime) and *[100% Tantei Monogatari](/wiki/100%25_Tantei_Monogatari "100% Tantei Monogatari")* (which Gosho assisted him with[](#cite_note-16), who was his [kōhai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senpai_and_k%C5%8Dhai "wikipedia:Senpai and kōhai") during university), as well as commissioned manga like *Dragon Quest*. Besides assisting Gosho with his works in turn, he also created the [manga](/wiki/Shonen_Sunday_Books_and_Specials_(Movie_and_Anime_Adaptations)#Detective_Conan_The_Movie_Comics_Edition "Shonen Sunday Books and Specials (Movie and Anime Adaptations)") based on the [movies](/wiki/Movies "Movies") and illustrations for the [novels](/wiki/Japanese_Novels "Japanese Novels") of *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")*. He always worked together with [Denjiro Maru](/wiki/Denjiro_Maru "Denjiro Maru").
He is one of the "men of Japan" dressed in drag from *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")* and Yutaka Abe from the "[Mysterious Shadow Case](/wiki/Volume_2#Mysterious_Shadow_Case "Volume 2")" is named after him.
## Trivia[[edit](/wiki/index.php?title=Gosho_Aoyama%27s_assistants&action=edit&section=12 "Edit section: Trivia")]
The men of Japan in drag
* In *[Yaiba](/wiki/Yaiba "Yaiba")*, [Gerozaemon Geroda](/wiki/Gerozaemon_Geroda "Gerozaemon Geroda") comes up with the plan to dress the men of Japan in drag to lead Empress [Kaguya](/wiki/Kaguya "Kaguya") into a trap, who can only suck out the life energy of female persons. The men he is envisioning that way are Yutaka Abe, Koichi Kishida, Yutaka Tani, Gosho Aoyama and Keiji Asou.
* [Gosho Aoyama](/wiki/Gosho_Aoyama "Gosho Aoyama") and his assistants often went outside and played some baseball during the time they worked on *Yaiba*. Nowadays, with *[Detective Conan](/wiki/Detective_Conan "Detective Conan")*, there isn't the time for that anymore.[](#cite_note-17) They are often playing "KanColle" (*[Kantai Collection](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantai_Collection "wikipedia:Kantai Collection")*) instead, a card game depicting warships from World War II as young girls.
* The assistants also usually cooked something themselves in the past, but there isn't time for that anymore either, so they order food from a convenience store.[](#cite_note-18)
* One of the assistant's relatives are members of the Japanese police force, which Gosho Aoyama used to ask them for research purposes.[](#cite_note-19) Furthermore, the wife of one of his assistants is called Kazuha, which Gosho thought to be cute, so he used that name for [Kazuha Toyama](/wiki/Kazuha_Toyama "Kazuha Toyama").