Junko Kawano

is a Japanese game designer, game director and writer. She helped Yoshitaka Murayama create the Suikoden series of role-playing video games. Initially a character designer and illustrator, she helped the series for Konami following Murayama's departure in 2002, writing and producing Suikoden IV and its spinoff title Suikoden Tactics.

Biography A newly hired artist at Konami in 1993, Kawano was assigned to create an RPG along with writer Yoshitaka Murayama, another newcomer to the company. The project was initially intended for an internally developed video game console, which was scrapped, but it was later reopened to be included as one of Konami's first games for Sony's upcoming PlayStation console.

Kawano was not directly involved with the following two entries to the series, instead writing, producing and designing her own title, the adventure game Shadow of Memories (titled Shadow of Destiny in North America). It was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001 to generally positive reviews, and later ported to Windows/PC, Xbox and PSP. Kawano took creative control of the series following departures from the Suikoden team in July 2002, including series creator Murayama, just a month before the release of Suikoden III. Kawano wrote and designed Suikoden IV in 2004 and the spinoff Suikoden Tactics in 2005, with plans for further installments on the PlayStation 3 that were never realized.

She made a successor to Shadow of Memories in 2008, titled Time Hollow, and the adventure puzzle game Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park in 2010, both for the Nintendo DS. In 2020, Kawano co-founded Rabbit & Bear Studios, reuniting with former Suikoden developers, including series creator Yoshitaka Murayama. She worked as a character designer for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a spiritual successor to Suikoden, released in 2024.

Works Game Role Release Platform Suikoden Designer 1995 PlayStation, Saturn, Windows Suikoden II Other (Ending Theme "La passione commuove la storia") 1998 PlayStation, Windows, Mobile Twinbee RPG Planner 1998 PlayStation Shadow of Memories Writer, director, Character Designer, Voice Actress (Cat ) 2001 PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, PSP Suikoden IV Writer, producer, designer 2004 PlayStation 2 Suikoden Tactics Writer, producer, designer 2005 PlayStation 2 Suikoden V Special Thanks 2006 PlayStation 2 Time Hollow Writer, designer 2008 Nintendo DS Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park Writer, director 2010 Nintendo DS Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Character designer 2022 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Character designer 2024 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S