Hiromu Arakawa, ?? ?, is a Japanese mangaka famous for the series Fullmetal Alchemist. Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa.

Born on May 8, 1973 in Tokachi, Hokkaid?, Japan, Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm with three elder sisters and a younger brother. Arakawa thought about being a manga artist "since [she] was little" and during her school years, she would often draw on textbooks. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes once a month for seven years while working on her familys farm. During this time, she also created d?jinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine.

For Fullmetal Alchemist manga, Arakawa had read alchemy-related books, which she found very complicated due to the fact that some books contradicted others. Arakawa was attracted more by the philosophical aspects than the practical aspects. For the Equivalent Exchange concept, she was inspired by the work of her parents who had a farm in Hokkaid? and always had to give all their effort in order to earn the money to eat.