Yuki Iiyama (飯山 由貴, Iiyama Yuki, b. 1988) is a Japanese contemporary artist and lecturer at Tama Art University. Iiyama…Yuki Iiyama (飯山 由貴, Iiyama Yuki, b. 1988) is a Japanese contemporary artist and lecturer at Tama Art University. Iiyama explores the themes of social stigma, representation and the interaction of the individual with society, through archival materials, video works, installations and community workshops.
Yoriko Mizushiri (水尻自子, Mizushiri Yoriko, born 1984) is a Japanese animator and filmmaker based in Tokyo. Born in…Yoriko Mizushiri (水尻自子, Mizushiri Yoriko, born 1984) is a Japanese animator and filmmaker based in Tokyo. Born in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, she is best known for a trilogy of short films exploring the sense of touch — Futon (2012), Kamakura (2013) and Maku (2014) — and for Ordinary Life (2025), which won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
Nagi Noda (野田 凪, Noda Nagi; November 18, 1973 – September 7, 2008) was a Japanese pop artist and art director born in…Nagi Noda (野田 凪, Noda Nagi; November 18, 1973 – September 7, 2008) was a Japanese pop artist and art director born in Tokyo. Noda spent much of her career working as a freelance art director. She directed multiple campaigns for brands such as Nike, Laforet, and Panasonic. In addition to her commercial works, she also was a prolific artist, taking on various solo projects. Such projects include: her half-panda sculptures, Hanpanda; a collaboration clothing brand with American artist Mark Ryden, Broken Label; and her unique hair hats. She held multiple solo exhibits throughout her career, and a post-humous exhibit was held to commemorate her work in 2011, a testament to her legacy and reputation as a designer. Noda's works are defined by artificiality and surreality, balancing between visual art and commercial relations with a high degree of creativity and non-conformity in their aesthetic and narration. She founded the design firm "Uchuu Country," where Japanese art director Yuni Yoshida also worked until starting her own agency in 2007. Noda began her career directing advertising campaigns for Harajuku's Laforet shopping mall. Among her most well-known advertising works are the short film Mariko Takahashi's Fitness Video for Being Appraised as an "Ex-fat Girl", the half-panda-half-something-else Hanpanda life-sized figures, and the video for Japanese singer Yuki's song "Sentimental Journey". She paired up with Yuki again in 2005 to direct the opening song for the anime Honey & Clover, which was her only participation in a standard narrative work. Other works include a television advertisement for Coca-Cola (with music by Jack White), a collaboration with Medicom Toy to produce original Nagi Noda Be@rbricks, a video for the Scissor Sisters song "She's My Man", and the video for "Hearts On Fire" by Cut Copy, which was the last music video she made. Per her biography in Women in Graphic Design, "The Works of Nagi Noda often make a disconcerting impression, with an aesthetic ranging from surreal to bizarre to poetic." Noda cited her unusual upbringing as having a large influence on her work. In a 2003 interview, she recalled how her parents would take her to look for UFOs or make her watch TV in black and white so she could learn to imagine color. Noda died on September 7, 2008, at age 34, after surgical complications from injuries sustained in a traffic accident the previous year.
Risa Itō (Japanese: 伊藤 理佐, Hepburn: Itō Risa; born 6 September 1969), also romanized as Risa Itou, is a Japanese manga…Risa Itō (Japanese: 伊藤 理佐, Hepburn: Itō Risa; born 6 September 1969), also romanized as Risa Itou, is a Japanese manga artist. She was born in 1969 in Hara Town, Suwa District in Nagano Prefecture, the eldest of three sisters. She graduated from Suwa Futaba High School and studied Formative Fine Arts at Joshibi University of Art and Design Junior College. She won the 2005 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo for Oi Pītan!! and the 2006 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Short Story Award for One Woman, Two Cats, Oi Piitan!!, and Onna no Mado. Her manga Oruchuban Ebichu ("Ebichu Minds the House") was adapted by Gainax into an anime television series. Her latest work, Higepiyo (ヒゲぴよ), serialized in Chorus magazine, was also adapted into an anime.
Mariko Kawana (Japanese: 川奈まり子, Hepburn: Kawana Mariko) (born November 9, 1967) began the most notable phase of her…Mariko Kawana (Japanese: 川奈まり子, Hepburn: Kawana Mariko) (born November 9, 1967) began the most notable phase of her life as a Japanese model and actress who has appeared in softcore pink film and V-Cinema, and who has also been a hardcore adult video (AV) performer and director. She was one of the earliest AV actresses in the "mature woman" or "madame" (jukujo) category of performers. She is now retired as an actress and has returned to her pre-acting career as a writer.
Naoko Kume (久米 直子, Kume Naoko; born 29 April 1963) is a Japanese swimmer. She competed in two events at the 1984 Summer…Naoko Kume (久米 直子, Kume Naoko; born 29 April 1963) is a Japanese swimmer. She competed in two events at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Kanako Higuchi (樋口 可南子, Higuchi Kanako) (born December 13, 1958) is a Japanese actress. Her credits include film…Kanako Higuchi (樋口 可南子, Higuchi Kanako) (born December 13, 1958) is a Japanese actress. Her credits include film, television, and radio dramas, stage, commercials, and voice roles. Born in Kamo, Niigata, she played her first lead at age 20 in the television drama Kōrogi-bashi. Kanako's film credits include Hokusai Manga, Bedtime Eyes, Zatoichi (1989), Casshern, Memories of Tomorrow, and Ashura no Jō Blood Gets In Your Eyes. Among her television roles are Lady Yodo in the 1987 NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune and Hanayasha in the 1991 Taiga drama Taiheiki. She has represented the cosmetics firms KOSÉ and Kao. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 15th Hochi Film Awards for Rōningai. She married Shigesato Itoi in 1993 and had a dog named Bouillon.
Yuko Yamaguchi (山口 裕子, Yamaguchi Yūko; born October 24, 1955) is a Japanese character designer and illustrator. She is…Yuko Yamaguchi (山口 裕子, Yamaguchi Yūko; born October 24, 1955) is a Japanese character designer and illustrator. She is well known as the third character designer of Hello Kitty.
Yoshimi Uchida (Japanese: 内田 善美, Hepburn: Uchida Yoshimi; born October 28, 1953) is a Japanese manga artist. She is…Yoshimi Uchida (Japanese: 内田 善美, Hepburn: Uchida Yoshimi; born October 28, 1953) is a Japanese manga artist. She is well-known for her detailed and emotional art style. Her career ended in 1986 after publishing her last long work, Liddell of Star Clock (three volumes). None of her works have been republished in accordance with her wishes. Representative works of hers include Liddell of Star Clock and Sō Labyrinth, Sō Space.
Moto Hagio (萩尾 望都, Hagio Moto; born May 12, 1949) is a Japanese manga artist. Regarded for her contributions to shōjo…Moto Hagio (萩尾 望都, Hagio Moto; born May 12, 1949) is a Japanese manga artist. Regarded for her contributions to shōjo manga (manga aimed at young and adolescent women), Hagio is considered the most significant artist in the demographic and among the most influential manga artists of all time, being referred to as the "god of shōjo manga" (少女漫画の神様, shōjo manga no kami-sama) by critics. Hagio made her debut as a manga artist in 1969 at the publishing company Kodansha before moving to Shogakukan in 1971, where she was able to publish her more radical and unconventional works that had been rejected by other publishers. Her first serializations at Shogakukan – the vampire fantasy The Poe Clan, the shōnen-ai (male–male romance) drama The Heart of Thomas, and the science fiction thriller They Were Eleven – were among the first works of shōjo manga to achieve mainstream critical and commercial success. Hagio subsequently emerged as a central figure in the Year 24 Group, a grouping of female manga artists who significantly influenced shōjo manga in the 1970s by introducing new aesthetic styles and expanding the category to incorporate new genres. Since the 1980s, Hagio has drawn primarily adult-oriented manga in the manga magazine Petit Flower and its successor publication Flowers, notably Marginal, A Cruel God Reigns, and Nanohana. While Hagio primarily authors works in the science fiction, fantasy, and shōnen-ai genres, her manga explores a wide range of themes and subjects, including comedy, historical drama, and social and environmental issues. She has been recognized with numerous awards both in Japan and internationally, including the Order of the Rising Sun, a Medal of Honor, and commendation as a Person of Cultural Merit.
Jitsuko Yoshimura (吉村実子, Yoshimura Jitsuko; born 18 April 1943) is a Japanese film and television actress. She was…Jitsuko Yoshimura (吉村実子, Yoshimura Jitsuko; born 18 April 1943) is a Japanese film and television actress. She was discovered by Shōhei Imamura as a newcomer and cast in the film Pigs and Battleships. She went on to appear in films like Imamura's The Insect Woman, Kaneto Shindō's Onibaba, for which she received the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Akira Kurosawa's Dodes'ka-den. She retired from acting in 1970, but returned in 1980 and continues to work to this day. Yoshimura was married to actor Tetsuo Ishidate from 1968 to 1999. Her sister is actress Mari Yoshimura (1935–).
Yoshiko Mita (三田佳子, Mita Yoshiko) (born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she…Yoshiko Mita (三田佳子, Mita Yoshiko) (born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she graduated from Joshibi High School of Art and Design in Suginami, Tokyo. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, then became free to appear in films, on television, and on the stage. Her performance in the film W's Tragedy (1984) earned the Japan Academy Prize for Best Supporting Actress in 1986. From 1991 to 1994, she topped Japan's official list of taxpayers in the Actors and Celebrities category. Yoshiko appears in both contemporary and jidaigeki roles. She won the award for best actress at the 30th and at the 35th Blue Ribbon Awards. With husband Yasuo Takahashi she has two sons, both actors.
Kazuko Nakamura (中村和子, Nakamura Kazuko; April 1, 1933 – August 3, 2019) was a Chinese-born Japanese animator. Nakamura…Kazuko Nakamura (中村和子, Nakamura Kazuko; April 1, 1933 – August 3, 2019) was a Chinese-born Japanese animator. Nakamura has worked on Princess Knight, A Thousand and One Nights and Cleopatra.
Nui Sano (Japanese: 佐野 ぬい, romanized: Sano Nui; November 16, 1932 – August 23, 2023) was a Japanese yōga…Nui Sano (Japanese: 佐野 ぬい, romanized: Sano Nui; November 16, 1932 – August 23, 2023) was a Japanese yōga ("Western-style") painter. She was known for her rhythmic, abstract style and her frequent use of the color blue. A longtime instructor at the Joshibi University of Art and Design, she served as the school's president from 2007 to 2011.
Tomoko Naraoka (奈良岡 朋子, Naraoka Tomoko; December 1, 1929 – March 23, 2023) was a Japanese actress and narrator. The…Tomoko Naraoka (奈良岡 朋子, Naraoka Tomoko; December 1, 1929 – March 23, 2023) was a Japanese actress and narrator. The daughter of a painter, she was born in Komagome, Hongō (present-day Bunkyo), in the city of Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from Joshibi University of Art and Design. Naraoka debuted as a cinema actress in the 1949 film Chijin no Ai, based on the novel Naomi. In 1981 she appeared in Rengō Kantai (lit. "Combined Fleet", United States title: The Imperial Navy). She also appeared in Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial (a 1988 movie in the long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series) as well as eight films in the Tsuribaka Nisshi series. Naraoka has appeared in several NHK Taiga dramas. Her first was the 1969 Ten to Chi to, in the role of the wife of Uesugi Sadazane. She portrayed Kita no Mandokoro (the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi) in Haru no Sakamichi (1971). Her next Taiga drama appearance was in 1976 in Kaze to Kumo to Niji to. She narrated the 1986 Inochi and 1989 Kasuga no Tsubone. She is the narrator of the 2008 drama Atsuhime. Other noteworthy narration roles include the 1983 serialized morning television drama Oshin. She also narrated Onna wa Dokyō (1992) and Haru Yo Koi (1994–1995). A nonfiction voice role was in the series Kiwameru: Nihon no Bi to Kokoro. Naraoka died from pneumonia on March 23, 2023, at the age of 93.
Fumiko Hori (堀 文子, Hori Fumiko; July 2, 1918 – February 5, 2019) was a Japanese artist, known for her paintings in the…Fumiko Hori (堀 文子, Hori Fumiko; July 2, 1918 – February 5, 2019) was a Japanese artist, known for her paintings in the Nihonga style.
Toshi Maruki (丸木俊, Maruki Toshi ; born Akamatsu Toshi, 赤松俊, on February 11, 1912, in Hokkaido, died on January 13…Toshi Maruki (丸木俊, Maruki Toshi ; born Akamatsu Toshi, 赤松俊, on February 11, 1912, in Hokkaido, died on January 13, 2000, in Saitama; also known as Akamatsu Toshiko, 赤松俊子) was a Japanese painter. Maruki is best known for the Hiroshima Panels (Genbaku no zu) series that she and her husband Iri Maruki (丸木位里, 1901–1995) produced collaboratively from around 1950. The Marukis took on heavy themes such as the atomic bomb, genocide, and environmental pollution, and constantly voiced their anti-war and peace message through their art. Toshi Maruki is also known as an accomplished picture book author.
Tamako Kataoka (片岡球子, Kataoka Tamako) (5 January 1905 in Sapporo – 16 January 2008) was a Japanese Nihonga painter. She…Tamako Kataoka (片岡球子, Kataoka Tamako) (5 January 1905 in Sapporo – 16 January 2008) was a Japanese Nihonga painter. She is known for her series of Mount Fuji and other mountains, painted in bold colours such as red.
Migishi Setsuko (三岸節子, January 3, 1905 – April 18, 1999) was a Japanese yōga (Western-style) painter. Known for…Migishi Setsuko (三岸節子, January 3, 1905 – April 18, 1999) was a Japanese yōga (Western-style) painter. Known for employing vivid colors and bold strokes for still-life and landscape, Migishi contributed greatly to the establishment and elevation of the status of female artists in the Japanese art scene.
Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who…Yoshiko Okada (岡田嘉子, Okada Yoshiko; 21 April 1902 – 10 February 1992) was a Japanese stage and film actress who defected to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Eiko Yamazawa (山沢 栄子, Yamazawa Eiko; February 19, 1899–July 16, 1995) was a renowned Japanese photographer. She is…Eiko Yamazawa (山沢 栄子, Yamazawa Eiko; February 19, 1899–July 16, 1995) was a renowned Japanese photographer. She is considered one of Japan's earliest women photographers and is among the few women photographers in Japan who were active both before and after World War II. First trained in Nihonga, she later studied photography in the U.S. under the mentorship of Consuelo Kanaga, and also exposed to the work of Kanaga's contemporaries such as Paul Strand and Edward Weston. After coming back to Japan in 1929, she established herself as a professional photographer. In 1931 she opened a portrait studio in Osaka, and in 1950 she established the Yamazawa Institute of Photography also in Osaka. In the early half of her career, Yamazawa was engaged in portraiture and commercial photography, having produced work for major Osaka department stores. In 1960 she shifted abstraction away from realism. Her work in this latter half of her career is characterized by her photographing art materials in distortion and reflection. Yamazawa's photographs were unique at the time for their use of vibrant color, which was in stark contrast to black and white photography championed by other Japanese photographers.
Na Hye-sŏk (Korean: 나혜석, April 28, 1896 – December 10, 1948) was a Korean feminist, poet, writer, painter, educator…Na Hye-sŏk (Korean: 나혜석, April 28, 1896 – December 10, 1948) was a Korean feminist, poet, writer, painter, educator, and journalist. Her art name was Jeongwol (정월; 晶月). She was a pioneering Korean feminist writer and painter. She was the first female professional painter and the first feminist writer in Korea. She created some of the earliest Western-style paintings in Korea, and published feminist novels and short stories. She became well known as a feminist because of her criticism of the marital institution in the early 20th century.
Suiko Sugiura (17 May 1885 – 16 February 1960) (or 杉浦翠子 in Japanese, すぎうら すいこ in kana), born Midori Iwasaki, was a…Suiko Sugiura (17 May 1885 – 16 February 1960) (or 杉浦翠子 in Japanese, すぎうら すいこ in kana), born Midori Iwasaki, was a Japanese poet.
Yuki Kiriga (霧賀ユキ, Kiriga Yuki; born May 14) is a Japanese manga author. She is known for creating characters with cute…Yuki Kiriga (霧賀ユキ, Kiriga Yuki; born May 14) is a Japanese manga author. She is known for creating characters with cute appearances, and even provided chibi illustrations for characters in Sister Princess and Strawberry Panic! in the Japanese bishōjo magazine Dengeki G's Magazine.
Sawa Yoshikawa (吉川 砂羽, Yoshikawa Sawa; born 20 September 1972, in Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan)…Sawa Yoshikawa (吉川 砂羽, Yoshikawa Sawa; born 20 September 1972, in Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan), better known by her stage name Sawa Suzuki (鈴木 砂羽, Suzuki Sawa), is a Japanese actress represented by the talent agency Monday.
Toriko Chiya (Japanese: 稚野鳥子, Hepburn: Chiya Toriko; born August 25 in Tokyo) is a Japanese manga artist. She is best…Toriko Chiya (Japanese: 稚野鳥子, Hepburn: Chiya Toriko; born August 25 in Tokyo) is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for Clover as well as Tokyo Alice.
Miyuki Okumura (奥村 心雪, Okumura Miyuki) is a character artist and manga artist from Saitama Prefecture. She is well…Miyuki Okumura (奥村 心雪, Okumura Miyuki) is a character artist and manga artist from Saitama Prefecture. She is well known as the character illustrator and artist for Sanrio's Cinnamoroll and Jewelpet franchises.
He Xiangning (Chinese: 何香凝; Wade–Giles: Ho Hsiang-ning; 27 June 1878 – 1 September 1972) was a Chinese revolutionary…He Xiangning (Chinese: 何香凝; Wade–Giles: Ho Hsiang-ning; 27 June 1878 – 1 September 1972) was a Chinese revolutionary, feminist, politician, painter, and poet. Together with her husband Liao Zhongkai, she was one of the earliest members of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary movement Tongmenghui. As Minister for Women's Affairs in Sun's Nationalist government in Guangzhou (Canton), she advocated equal rights for women and organized China's first rally for International Women's Day in 1924. After her husband's assassination in 1925 and Chiang Kai-shek's persecution of the Communists in 1927, she stayed away from party politics for two decades, but actively worked to organize resistance against the Japanese invasion of China. In 1948, she cofounded the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang. She served in many high-ranking positions after the foundation of the People's Republic of China, including Vice Chairwoman of the CPPCC (1954–64), Vice Chairwoman of the National People's Congress (1959–72), Chairwoman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (1960–72), and Honorary Chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation. He Xiangning was a renowned painter of the Lingnan School of Chinese art and served as Chairwoman of the China Artists Association in the 1960s. The National He Xiangning Art Museum was opened in Shenzhen in 1997, and her paintings have been featured on Chinese stamps.
Fusako Yusaki (湯崎夫沙子, Yusaki Fusako; 5 September 1937 – 6 October 2026) was a Japanese-born Italian designer, artist…Fusako Yusaki (湯崎夫沙子, Yusaki Fusako; 5 September 1937 – 6 October 2026) was a Japanese-born Italian designer, artist and sculptor known by her claymation works which she produced in Italy, where she lived from 1964 until her death. She later established herself in this field also in Switzerland and Japan.
