He retired from the comics industry in 1987. Since then, he has cooperated with the filming and reprinting of his works.
At the age of 14 he embarked as a stowaway on a cargo ship for the United States, but got caught by the coastal guards and sent back to his family.
Tsuge briefly served as assistant to manga comic artist Shigeru Mizuki, and was influenced by him in his own artwork.
From 1966-1976, Tsuge travelled throughout Japan, visiting the small villages, uninhabited regions and other places unknown to the public. This was a source of ideas for new stories.
One of the most acclaimed gekiga comic artists.
Tsuge was one of a number of cartoonists who found themselves unable to cope with the changes in the industry in the 1970s, where editors played a large role in manga comics content and schedules shifted from monthly to weekly.