More than 20 of his works were rejected in manga contests hosted by a top publisher.

But Kakusai Han, 67, never let go of his lifelong dream of becoming a cartoonist.

He made his professional debut after he turned 60, and now the rookie has started attracting attention from some of the pros.

Han was born Yoshifumi Miura in Shintoku, a town located almost in the center of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island.

His pen name derives from “hankakusai,” a word in the local dialect that means “ridiculous, foolish or insane.”

Another inspiration was Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), one of the greatest ukiyo-e artists of the Edo Period (1603-1867), who continued drawing until the last years of his life.

“Stay away from trends and seek originality,” Han said. “That is the quickest route to success.”

Han fell in love with drawing at an early age, won praise for his illustrations and aspired to become a professional manga artist.

By the time he enrolled in high school, however, he felt he had reached his limit.

No matter how hard he drew, he thought his illustrations resembled someone else’s and could not find his own style.

Dejected, he distanced himself from manga.

As an adult, Han obtained a judo therapy license and started working as a bonesetter in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido.

But after he turned 45, he became serious about creating manga again.

Every time he completed a story, he submitted it to a manga contest for rookie comic artists hosted by Shogakukan Inc. twice a year.

And each time was disappointing.

Submissions are sent back to the authors after they are evaluated on a five-letter grading system ranging from “A” to “E.”

Han’s comics always received low grades, such as “C” and “D.”

According to publishing industry insiders, “D” means “no prospect of becoming a manga artist.”

Han did not give up, however.

No matter how unsophisticated his cartoons were, he grew confident that he was gradually making progress as he continued to create manga.

“I always thought things would work out if I drew something interesting,” he said. “I didn’t care about my age.”

In fall 2019, Natsuyuki Kowashi, 48, the deputy editor-in-chief of the editorial department for Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior manga anthology and a jury member of the newcomer’s contest, was drawn to Han’s entry titled, “Nemuri ni Tsuku toki ...” (When you fall asleep ...).

He noted that Han’s illustrations were drawn with an incredible level of intricacy, showing just how much extra effort he put into his work.

Kowashi was enthralled by the story, which was unpredictable and also incorporated fantastical and erotic elements.

Other jury members were critical of Han’s work, with one saying that his drawings were too old-fashioned.

The manga made it to the final selection, but failed to win a prize.

However, one of the jury members--a famous manga artist--said it brought tears to the eyes.

Han received an “A” for the first time.

Intrigued by his potential, Kowashi volunteered to serve as his editor.

The following year, Han took a shot at the Young Superior newcomer’s awards.

“Yama de Kurasu Otoko” (The man who lives in a mountain) missed the top prize, but it earned high acclaim from the editor-in-chief of Big Comic Superior, who published the piece in the manga magazine.

The artist did not stop there.

Even though he was busy running a chiropractic clinic with his wife, he would work until the evening and then start drawing manga after past 9 p.m.

When his drawings would start to look blurry after about 30 minutes, he would take a short break and then get back to work at his desk.

Each time one of his pieces was approved for publishing, it was carried in Big Comic Superior.

“Han’s works reflect the author, who experienced the absurdity of life,” Kowashi said. “They are poignant because the reader can feel how he puts his heart and soul into them.”

In October, Han published “67-sai no Shinjin: Han Kakusai Tanpenshu” (The 67-year-old newcomer: a collection of short stories by Kakusai Han) from Shogakukan, which is priced at 715 yen ($5.50), including tax.

The manga book, which includes a short story exclusively created for the anthology, has already entered its second print run.

Han is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The late bloomer said he already has three or four ideas lined up for his next stories. One is a piece themed on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.