Ryosuke Kabashima

"I could never thank you enough, but...I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Your every word gives me courage. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would have never existed without you."

- Hirohiko Araki,

Ryosuke Kabashima (椛島良介) is the head director of Shueisha's Shinsho editorial department. He was originally an editor for Weekly Shōnen Jump up until September 2013. He is the grandson of [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/k/kabashima_katsuichi. Katsuishi Kabashima].

Kabashima was Hirohiko Araki's first editor and was largely responsible for Araki's growth during the first ten years of his professional career as a manga artist. His involvement would last from 1979 up until the finale of Stardust Crusaders in 1989.

History
Prior to becoming an editor, Kabashima had studied archaeology and the History of the Western World.

Meeting Araki
Kabashima was a relatively new editor when he first met Araki back in 1979. At the time, Araki's sent-in manga submissions were constantly rejected by various publishing companies, spurring him to go straight to Shueisha's editorial building to get some answers. It was around noon when Araki arrived and Kabashima, who was coincidently walking to the receptionist desk, ended being the first to critique Araki's submission. According to Araki, Kabashima was extremely severe and pointed out each of Araki's technical faults (from having forgotten to erase pen lines to leaking white-outs). However, he sensed potential in Araki's work and told him to fix his pages and apply for the upcoming Tezuka Awards. Araki's submission, Poker Under Arms, won the runner-up prize and would go on to be his first published manga.

Before JoJo
Kabashima subsequently became Araki's editor and worked with him on his earliest publications. As a horror and suspense fan, he enjoyed Araki's early works and often encouraged him to avoid doing what was popular among other Jump titles. Kabashima also defended Araki's 1983 series, Cool Shock B.T., and advocated its publication despite the other editors' disapproval of its name and confusion at its content. It was around that time that Kabashima began encouraging Araki to travel abroad.

Stardust Crusaders
Kabashima was the one who suggested that Stardust Crusaders happened in Egypt. Kabashima liked Egypt and proposed to feature it. Araki was reluctant at first and the two went together in Egypt.