One of the leading shoujo artists of the 1950s (his debut was 1957). He set the standard for the creative layouts and symbolism signature to shoujo manga.
He was well-known as a mangaka for the anthology Margaret in the 1960's, and became increasingly popular during the first big wave of "sparkly-eyed" shoujo romances.
He became prominent again during the 1990's-early 2000's, much due to the emergence of Lolita-as-we-know-it during the same period. MACOTO's work has been featured in several Gothic & Lolita Bibles, and Lolita everywhere treasure his lovely, albeit repetitive, glittery-eyed maidens in their flora-adorned, Fairytale worlds. In recent years he has kept a significantly lower profile, although he has his own official gallery located in Chiba. MACOTO also has an annual show in Ginza.

He died on November 17, 2024 from esophagogastric junction cancer.