Kogawa joined Tokyo Movie in 1970 and made his animator debut with “Star of the Giants”. After going freelance, he started to make his presence known with his key animation for “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman” and “Hurricane Polymer”. In 1978, he was the character designer and chief animation director for the theatrical film “Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love”, which became a huge hit in the history of Japanese movies.
In the late 1970s, he teamed up with director Yoshiyuki Tomino and worked on many masterpieces such as “Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3”, “Space Runaway Ideon”, “Combat Mecha Xabungle”, and “Aura Battler Dunbine”. He is also known for his character design for the sci-fi mecha anime “Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross”.
Kogawa has worked on many anime works under several pen names, and in 1995, he was the animation director for “Neon Genesis Evangelion” under the alias “Hanabatake Mau”. In 2009, he returned to the Yamato series as character designer and chief animation director for “Space Battleship Yamato: Resurrection”. He has also participated in other productions, such as “Japanese Folk Tales” in 2012 and “Lupin III” in 2015, and is still active at the forefront of the industry.
Recently, he has expanded his range of activities beyond anime, designing rice field art in Kagamiishi Town (Fukushima Prefecture) and holding annual charity events for the Great East Japan Earthquake. His drawing technique books, “Animation Drawing Method: Basics” and “Animation Drawing Method: Practical Techniques”, published in 1986, have had an impact on younger creators.
