He was one of Japan's most famous manga artists. He drew exclusively by hand, never using a computer. His first cartoon was published in 1970. Years later his graphic art became popular, particularly in France.
Winner of the Angoulême comics (9th art) festival Grand Prize in 2015.
He cooperated on several occasions with French-Belgian graphic artist Frederic Boilet, who has been instrumental in making Taniguchi better-known in Europe.
He cites Chinese artistry and French-Belgian comics (particularly Hergé) as an influence on his artwork.
Though a talented and popular manga writer, he also contributed towards illustrating manga for other writers.