[1] In 1979 he used his experiences about his near destitute life, living and drinking in the Asagaya and Koenji districts while working as a day laborer on construction sites as inspiration for his manga.
Fukutani depicted life at the margins of Japan's largely middle-class society, among social groups rarely shown in the media, but necessary for the economic boom then occurring.
[1] This image was reinforced by a notorious appearance on the late-night talk show 11PM (jp), where he shocked producers by drinking excessively throughout the program.
[1][2] Despite his domestic success, Fukutani and his work were little-known outside of Japan until well after his death, when French and English translations of Dokudami Tenement were published.
In French, the first volume of Dokudami Tenement (published as Le Vagabond de Tokyo) was an official selection of the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2010.