Shotaro Sanada (Japanese: 真田 将太朗, born 9 December 2000) is a Japanese painter and researcher. He is known for…Shotaro Sanada (Japanese: 真田 将太朗, born 9 December 2000) is a Japanese painter and researcher. He is known for large-scale abstract paintings that explore "new landscapes" and for interdisciplinary work linking art, aesthetics, and artificial intelligence.
Kantoku (カントク; born March 26, 1985) is a Japanese illustrator and character designer. He was born in Hyogo Prefecture…Kantoku (カントク; born March 26, 1985) is a Japanese illustrator and character designer. He was born in Hyogo Prefecture and lives in Saitama Prefecture.
Rie Funakoshi (Japanese: 舩越 里恵, Hepburn: Funakoshi Rie; born January 11, 1985) better known by her stage name Rie fu…Rie Funakoshi (Japanese: 舩越 里恵, Hepburn: Funakoshi Rie; born January 11, 1985) better known by her stage name Rie fu (リエ フゥ, Rie Fū), is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She resides in Tokyo but frequently travels to the United Kingdom, where she is known as Rié, to record and promote her work. Rie fu's songs are often bilingual, since she is fluent in both English and Japanese. Although most of her songs are primarily sung in Japanese, many feature entire verses written in English (such as Life is Like a Boat). Of her songs written entirely in Japanese, several have later been released as English-language versions.
Syoh Yoshida (吉田 翔, Yoshida Shō; born 24 January 1984 in Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese artist of the nihonga and ink…Syoh Yoshida (吉田 翔, Yoshida Shō; born 24 January 1984 in Aichi, Japan) is a Japanese artist of the nihonga and ink painting genre. He currently lives and works in Kyoto. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Design at Osaka Seikei University, where he learned and matured his craft in both Japanese painting. Since his first solo exhibition "Beautiful Thing" in Kyoto in 2006, he has been expressing his love and devotion for nature and townships primarily through his unique and striking black and white paintings. He has also participated in several high profile and successful solo and group exhibitions throughout Japan in recent years.
Erina Matsui (松井 えり菜, Matsui Erina; born January 8, 1984) is a Japanese contemporary artist. She is known for her…Erina Matsui (松井 えり菜, Matsui Erina; born January 8, 1984) is a Japanese contemporary artist. She is known for her surreal self-portraits, mostly done as oil paintings. Her work has been praised for its jarring visual impact as it defies normal representations of childhood being cute and innocent.
Tomoko Kashiki (樫木知子, Kashiki Tomoko; born 1982) is a Japanese artist based in Kyoto, Japan. She is known for her…Tomoko Kashiki (樫木知子, Kashiki Tomoko; born 1982) is a Japanese artist based in Kyoto, Japan. She is known for her paintings, which often portray dreamlike scenes of lone female figures.
Noizi Ito (いとうのいぢ, Itō Noiji; born August 9, 1977) is a Japanese light novel and video game artist. She is employed by…Noizi Ito (いとうのいぢ, Itō Noiji; born August 9, 1977) is a Japanese light novel and video game artist. She is employed by the H-game maker UNiSONSHIFT and is a part of the circle Fujitsubo-Machine. Unlike most romanized Japanese words and names, Noizi Ito's name uses the Kunrei-shiki romanization form. Ito is well known for her work as the character designer and artist for the Shakugan no Shana novel series which spawned a manga and anime series. She has also worked on the Haruhi Suzumiya novel series along with its author Nagaru Tanigawa. Their work has also led to an anime television series titled after the first book in the series, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. She is also the character designer for the 2012 anime series Another and for the Virtual YouTuber Tenjin Kotone.
Yugo Kanno (菅野 祐悟, Kanno Yūgo; born June 5, 1977) is a Japanese composer and musician known for his work on many…Yugo Kanno (菅野 祐悟, Kanno Yūgo; born June 5, 1977) is a Japanese composer and musician known for his work on many television dramas, anime series, and movies.
Firoz Mahmud (Bengali: ফিরোজ মাহমুদ) (born September 5, 1974 in Khulna, Bangladesh) is a Bangladeshi visual artist…Firoz Mahmud (Bengali: ফিরোজ মাহমুদ) (born September 5, 1974 in Khulna, Bangladesh) is a Bangladeshi visual artist based in Japan. Mahmud was the first Bangladeshi fellow artist in research at Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. His work has been exhibited at the following biennales: Sharjah Biennale, the first Bangkok Art Biennale, at the Dhaka Art Summit, Setouchi Triennale (BDP), the first Aichi Triennial, the Congo Biennale, the first Lahore Biennale, the Cairo Biennale, the Echigo-Tsumari Triennial, and the Asian Biennale. Mahmud was awarded a guarantee from the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) in New York. Guggenheim Museum's UBS Global Art Initiative and Asia Society invited him to the symposium "Continuous Horizons: Contemporary Art for Asia", No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia Programs. In 2019, Mahmud was nominated for the French COAL prize, which was hosted at Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Fuyuko Matsui (松井冬子, Matsui Fuyuko; born January 20, 1974) is a contemporary Japanese artist, specialized in Nihonga…Fuyuko Matsui (松井冬子, Matsui Fuyuko; born January 20, 1974) is a contemporary Japanese artist, specialized in Nihonga paintings. She is known for her "new Kusozu" series. Matsui has been making her works based on her psychoanalysis results, putting heavy weight on her feelings and interests in violence, experience of loss, repression, stress, and trauma. Through the process of self-investigation, she found her works common to all living beings—life and death, sex, self-love, self-mutilation, self and the other, this world and the next, desire and passions.
Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder…Takashi Takeuchi (武内 崇, Takeuchi Takashi; born August 28, 1973) is a Japanese artist. He is notable as the co-founder of the visual novel, anime development, and production enterprise Type-Moon, and for his illustrations on the visual novels, Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, which were adapted into an anime and manga series. He has frequently collaborated with fellow game designer Kinoko Nasu. In 2008, they contributed the special scenario to the Sega/Chunsoft visual novel 428: Shibuya Scramble, which subsequently received a sequel anime titled Canaan. His real name is Tomotaka Takeuchi (竹内 友崇).
Tetsuya Ishida (石田 徹也, Ishida Tetsuya, June 16, 1973 – May 23, 2005) was a contemporary Japanese painter known for his…Tetsuya Ishida (石田 徹也, Ishida Tetsuya, June 16, 1973 – May 23, 2005) was a contemporary Japanese painter known for his surrealist portrayal of late-20th and early-21st century Japanese city life. His works typically depict hyperrealistic boys and men whose bodies are integrated into everyday appliances, industrial machinery, civic architecture, and animal forms. Ishida's paintings address the themes of isolation, consumerism, academic & professional workplace anxieties, and urban banality. Ishida quickly ascended the ranks of Japan's contemporary art scene after several of his paintings were exhibited at multiple galleries in the cultural hub of Ginza, and his works were featured in Christie's first ever auction on East Asian avant-garde art (alongside the works of a young Takashi Murakami) in 1998. As a member of Japan's "Lost Generation" (1991–2001), Ishida was a firsthand witness to the country's economic decline that began in the 1990s and extended into the 2000s. Subsequently, the angst that characterized his age group affected his perceptions of Japan's near-future where he viewed it as a bleak, urbanized atmosphere dominated by technocratic occupations that drain the life from its recent university graduate and middle-aged salarymen employees. With mental illness as a crucial attribute of his work, Ishida's conflicted views of Japan's outlook took a toll on his personal life and has been considered a contributing factor in his death after he was struck by a train in 2005.
Ryoko Kimura (木村了子, Kimura Ryoko, born 1971) is a Japanese contemporary artist who works in Nihonga painting. She…Ryoko Kimura (木村了子, Kimura Ryoko, born 1971) is a Japanese contemporary artist who works in Nihonga painting. She studied at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, graduating from the oil painting course in 1995, and earning her master's degree in 1997. Her artwork subject weigh is traditional Bijin-ga (literally "beautiful person picture") but rather than depicting women, she instead observes the male figure from the "sexual gaze from a heterosexual female standpoint." Her artwork has been exhibited in Japan, Taiwan, China, France, Germany, and USA.
Aya Goda (Goda Aya in Japanese family name-given name order) is a Japanese writer, and an artist. She has lived in…Aya Goda (Goda Aya in Japanese family name-given name order) is a Japanese writer, and an artist. She has lived in Japan since 1998. Aya's first book Tao: On the Road and on the Run in Outlaw China was awarded the Noma Prize for Non-Fiction from Kodansha in 1995. The English version of the novel was selected as one of the 50 books touted as the "most worth talking about" World Book Day 2009. Aya was born in Hokkaido, northern Japan. She traveled in West China, then she was a student of Musashino Art University, Tokyo in August 1988, and met Chinese artist Cao Yong in Kashi, Xinjiang. Cao Yong held his first one-man show in Beijing in February 1989. The exhibit was an instant success, and the event was covered by major international news agencies. However, this art show alarmed the Chinese authorities. But Cao Yong and Aya managed to escape. They set off on a perilous eight-month journey as fugitives. Finally, the couple married and got an espousal visa, escaped to Japan in October 1989. "TAO" recounts this eight-month journey in China in 1989. In Japan, Cao Yong and Aya had worked and lived as one until Cao Yong left for the US in 1994. Aya also left for the US after publishing "TAO" as Cao Yong's farewell gift to Japan in 1995. She did her best and went back to Japan in March, 1998.
Yutaka Sone (曽根 裕, Sone Yutaka; born 1965 in Shizuoka, Japan) is a contemporary artist who works in Belgium, China, and…Yutaka Sone (曽根 裕, Sone Yutaka; born 1965 in Shizuoka, Japan) is a contemporary artist who works in Belgium, China, and Mexico. Sone studied architecture at Tokyo University of the Arts (東京芸術大学, Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku). From 2000 to 2003, he taught sculpture at UCLA as a visiting instructor.
Jimmy Onishi (ジミー大西, Jimī Ōnishi; born 1 January 1964) is a Japanese painter and comedian. His real name is Hideaki…Jimmy Onishi (ジミー大西, Jimī Ōnishi; born 1 January 1964) is a Japanese painter and comedian. His real name is Hideaki Onishi (大西 秀明, Ōnishi Hideaki), in which his given name is a combination of Hide (秀) from daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Aki (明) means "bright" which relates to the New Year celebrations as he was born on New Year's Day. Onishi is represented with Yoshimoto Creative Agency.
Luna H. Mitani (born December 22, 1963, in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese-American artist. He works in the…Luna H. Mitani (born December 22, 1963, in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan) is a Japanese-American artist. He works in the fields of painting and pen & ink drawing. After traveling through more than 33 countries in Europe including England and Ireland, Mitani began his fine art training in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Afterward, he continued traveling around the world for sketching. After completing the training, he became interested in commercial art, and moved to the US to study commercial art, while beginning his career as a professional artist for the publishers and entertainment industry. He was soon called upon to design and create LP-record, music tape and CD covers for artists such as George Benson, The Platters, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Thad Jones, Yardbird, Chet Baker, Wayne Henderson, Dan Moretti, Coale Johnson, The Highland Project, Rue Davis, Bobby Warren, and more. His CD cover works led him to work on designing posters, magazine covers, and comprehensive packaging design. Mitani has been featured in several exhibitions in Los Angeles, California. After that, he has received a great deal of attention in Japan for his American works and was appointed Head Advisor for the Yoyogi Animation School, the largest animation school in Japan. Mitani has been featured many times in magazines, newspapers and on television in Europe, the United States, and Japan. He resides in Hollywood, California.
Noritake Kinashi (木梨 憲武, Kinashi Noritake; born 9 March 1962) is a Japanese comedian, actor, singer and artist. He is…Noritake Kinashi (木梨 憲武, Kinashi Noritake; born 9 March 1962) is a Japanese comedian, actor, singer and artist. He is the short member of the comedy duo Tunnels, with whom he was a member of the pop group Yaen. His partner is Takaaki Ishibashi. He is the executive vice president of the entertainment office Arrival. Kinashi's wife is actress Narumi Yasuda. His cousin is Liberal Democratic Party Suginami lawmaker Morisho Kinashi.
Yuki Ninagawa (蜷川 有紀, Ninagawa Yuki; born 1960 in Yokohama) is a Japanese actress, daughter of the poet Mizuno…Yuki Ninagawa (蜷川 有紀, Ninagawa Yuki; born 1960 in Yokohama) is a Japanese actress, daughter of the poet Mizuno Akiyoshi. Her first role was in the rock opera Salome in 1978. In films, she appeared in Kurutta Kajitsu in 1981, winning a best new actress award at the Yokohama Film Festival. She had leading roles in Himeyuri Monument (1982), Modori Gawa (1983), and Hitodenashi No Koi (1992), as well as appearing on TV program "Kiryuin Hanako No Shogai". In theatre, Ninagawa appeared in Yukio Ninagawa's modern adaptation of the Kabuki masterpiece Kanadehon Chūshingura. In 2004, she wrote, directed, and starred in the film Barameraba, based on a short story by Seijun Suzuki. Her graphic exhibition Baramekutoki won an Art of The Year Award from the Japan Information Culturology Society and was hosted by the Tokyu Bunkamura gallery in 2008. In 2010, her exhibition on the theme "Strange & Enchanting" was hosted as Yuki Ninagawa Drawing Exhibition: Baramandara at Ueno and Daimaru Shinsaibashi. Her work was used as the title visual for the TV-TOKYO 45th anniversary special drama Nene—Onna Taikouki and appeared on the cover of Wacoal PR magazine. Her works were seen at Shibuya Tokyu Bunkamura art gallery in June 2012. Ninagawa is a member of the Japan Inter Design Forum as well as an art council board member of the Regional Culture Tax Accountants Fund.
Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智, Nara Yoshitomo; born 5 December 1959 in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese…Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智, Nara Yoshitomo; born 5 December 1959 in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese artist. He lives and works in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, though his artwork has been exhibited worldwide. Nara has had nearly 40 solo exhibitions since 1984. His art work has been housed at the MoMA and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). His most well-known and repeated subjects are "big-headed girls" with piercing eyes, who one Nara scholar describes as having "childlike expressions [that] resonate with adult emotions, [their] embodiment of kawaii (cuteness) carries a dark humor, and any explicit cultural references are intertwined with personal memories."
Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of…Seiichi Yamamoto (山本 精一, Yamamoto Seiichi; born July 16, 1958) is a Japanese musician. He is the guitarist of psychedelic rock band Rovo as well as a former guitarist for the noise rock band Boredoms, and has also released records as a solo artist. He has also composed the soundtracks to several films, as well as collaborating with various other musicians and bands.
Hiroshi Senju (千住博, Senju Hiroshi; born 1958) is a Japanese Nihonga painter known for his large scale waterfall…Hiroshi Senju (千住博, Senju Hiroshi; born 1958) is a Japanese Nihonga painter known for his large scale waterfall paintings.
Yoshiteru Otani (大谷 芳照, Ōtani Yoshiteru; born 1958) is a Japanese artist best known for his Peanuts-inspired work.…Yoshiteru Otani (大谷 芳照, Ōtani Yoshiteru; born 1958) is a Japanese artist best known for his Peanuts-inspired work. Otani is the creator of much of the artwork found in the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. An exhibit of Otani's Peanuts-themed charcoal ink paintings, Peanuts: Found in Translation, was presented at the Schulz Museum from November 12, 2004, to April 11, 2005.
Tomorowo Taguchi (田口 トモロヲ, Taguchi Tomorowo; born November 30, 1957) is a Japanese actor, film director and musician.…Tomorowo Taguchi (田口 トモロヲ, Taguchi Tomorowo; born November 30, 1957) is a Japanese actor, film director and musician. After leaving Dokkyo University without graduating, he started to earn his living as an illustrator, writer and pornographic cartoonist. He joined a theatre called Hakken no Kai in 1978 and he made a screen debut in Zokubutsu Zukan (based on the book by Yasutaka Tsutsui) in 1982. He was also a prominent cult musician in the Tokyo underground scene with his band Bachikaburi in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is probably most well known to the West as the lead actor in Tetsuo and Tetsuo II directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. He also makes regular appearances in Takashi Miike's films. He became known to the Japanese public as a narrator for the TV documentary series Project X - Challengers which aired between 2000 and 2005 on NHK. Taguchi has directed 3 films, Iden & Tity in 2003, Shikisoku Generation in 2009, and Piece of Cake in 2015.
Takaaki Enoki (榎木 孝明, Enoki Takaaki; born January 5, 1956) is a Japanese actor and artist from Isa District, Kagoshima.…Takaaki Enoki (榎木 孝明, Enoki Takaaki; born January 5, 1956) is a Japanese actor and artist from Isa District, Kagoshima. He is known for his role as private detective Mitsuhiko Asami in the Asami Mitsuhiko Series. He attended Musashino Art University but left before graduating and joined the Shiki Theatre Company. In 1990, Enoki landed the lead role in Heaven and Earth in place of Ken Watanabe, who had to pull out due to illness. He is also known as an ink painter and his museum opened in 2003.(Located in Kokonoe, Ōita.)
Katsu Nakajima (born February 15, 1954) is a Japanese realist painter known for figurative works incorporating gold…Katsu Nakajima (born February 15, 1954) is a Japanese realist painter known for figurative works incorporating gold leaf backgrounds and closely observed landscapes. He began painting seriously after the age of 50. In 2019, he was designated an ARC Living Master by the Art Renewal Center (ARC), a non-profit arts organization based in the United States.
Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan…Naka Bokunen (名嘉 睦稔; born 1953) is an artist from Okinawa, Japan, famous for his brightly coloured prints of Okinawan landscapes. Many of these prints are of, or inspired by, the island of Izena in the north of Okinawa, where he was born. Naka Bokunen has been involved in collaborations with, among others, the novelist Banana Yoshimoto and the biologist James Lovelock.
Nishida Shun'ei (西田 俊英; born April 20, 1953, in Ise city, Mie prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Nihonga painter who…Nishida Shun'ei (西田 俊英; born April 20, 1953, in Ise city, Mie prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese Nihonga painter who specializes in portraits, and later fantastical landscapes, and is an emeritus professor of Japanese painting at Hiroshima City University and Musashino Art University, which he retired from in 2024. He received the 2016 Japan Art Academy award for Japanese painting. As of 2026, he is the chair of the Japan Art Institute.
Kazuo Oga (男鹿 和雄, Oga Kazuo; born 29 February 1952, in Akita Prefecture, Japan) is an art director and background…Kazuo Oga (男鹿 和雄, Oga Kazuo; born 29 February 1952, in Akita Prefecture, Japan) is an art director and background artist for many Madhouse Studio and Studio Ghibli anime films. Oga has worked with many respected directors, such as Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Osamu Dezaki. He has also published two compilations of his art and directed a short animated film.
Keibun Ōta (おおた慶文, Ōta Keibun), real name Yoshifumi Ōta (太田慶文, Ōta Yoshifumi), is a painter and illustrator born on…Keibun Ōta (おおた慶文, Ōta Keibun), real name Yoshifumi Ōta (太田慶文, Ōta Yoshifumi), is a painter and illustrator born on November 10, 1951, in Haboro, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan. He is best known for his watercolor paintings of young girls and children. Ōta has multiple books in print which collect his works, and he has created illustrations for magazines, books, calendars, and posters, and has had multiple one-man exhibitions. He currently lives in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Leiko Ikemura (イケムラレイコ, Ikemura Reiko; born 22 August 1951 in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese-Swiss artist…Leiko Ikemura (イケムラレイコ, Ikemura Reiko; born 22 August 1951 in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese-Swiss artist who works in a variety of mediums, including oil painting, sculpture, and watercolor. She divides her time between Cologne and Berlin, teaching painting at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. Active on the international art scene since the 1970s, she is known for her work within the Neo-Expressionism movement of the 1980s, as well as her continually evolving style. Much of her oeuvre features elements of symbolism, involving the creation of magical universes blend elements of her animals, humans, and plants. Her work has been featured in a number of solo exhibitions in Japan and Europe, and is held in the permanent collections of major institutions such at the Centre Pompidou, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kunstmuseum Bern, Kunsthaus Zurich, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. In 2023, she had her first solo exhibition in Mexico at the Museo de Arte de Zapopan.
Aki Yashiro (八代亜紀, Yashiro Aki; August 29, 1950 – December 30, 2023), real name Akiyo Masuda (増田明代, Masuda Akiyo), née…Aki Yashiro (八代亜紀, Yashiro Aki; August 29, 1950 – December 30, 2023), real name Akiyo Masuda (増田明代, Masuda Akiyo), née Hashimoto (橋本明代, Hashimoto Akiyo), was a Japanese enka singer and painter. Her stage name "Yashiro" was adopted from her hometown Yatsushiro.
Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was…Eiji Okuda (奥田瑛二, Okuda Eiji; born 18 March 1950) is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in Sen no Rikyu. He won the award for best actor at the 37th Blue Ribbon Awards for Like a Rolling Stone. He made his directing debut in 2001, and has taken leading roles in front of the camera in the three films he has directed as of 2006. He appeared in the Brazilian soap opera Morde & Assopra, of 2011, as a scientist in the first chapter. He also appeared in the film Dirty Hearts, also released in 2011, this time as the character Colonel Watanabe, officer of the Japanese Imperial Army, leader of Shindo Renmei and the great villain of the film.
Judy Ongg (Chinese: 翁倩玉; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ong Chhèng-gio̍k; born 24 January 1950) is a Taiwanese-Japanese singer, actress…Judy Ongg (Chinese: 翁倩玉; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ong Chhèng-gio̍k; born 24 January 1950) is a Taiwanese-Japanese singer, actress, author, and woodblock printing artist. Born in Taipei, she graduated from The American School in Japan in 1969 and later from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, after which she became a naturalized Japanese citizen. Her career has spanned more than four decades.
Toeko Tatsuno (Japanese: 辰野登恵子; born Toeko Naka (Japanese: 中 登恵子); 13 January 1950 – 19 September 2014) was a Japanese…Toeko Tatsuno (Japanese: 辰野登恵子; born Toeko Naka (Japanese: 中 登恵子); 13 January 1950 – 19 September 2014) was a Japanese abstract painter, printmaker, and former professor at Tama Art University in Japan.
Hideto Horiike (堀池 秀人; 1949 in Nagasaki, Nagasaki – June 2015) was a Japanese architect. He has a Ph.D. from the…Hideto Horiike (堀池 秀人; 1949 in Nagasaki, Nagasaki – June 2015) was a Japanese architect. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo. In 1996, he married the announcer Mikiko Minami, and the couple had a child in the following year.
Hiro Yamagata (born 山形 博導 Hiromichi Yamagata, May 30, 1948, in Maihara, in Shiga prefecture, Japan) is a…Hiro Yamagata (born 山形 博導 Hiromichi Yamagata, May 30, 1948, in Maihara, in Shiga prefecture, Japan) is a painter/artist, based in Los Angeles, California. As a silkscreen artist, he is known for his use of vivid colors in his pieces. He is also known for his use of laser and hologram technology recently, and is recognized as a pioneer in the former.
Naohisa Inoue (井上 直久, Inoue Naohisa; born in 1948 in Osaka, Japan) is a fantasy artist influenced by both the…Naohisa Inoue (井上 直久, Inoue Naohisa; born in 1948 in Osaka, Japan) is a fantasy artist influenced by both the Surrealism and Impressionism movements. Most of his paintings are set in the fantastical land of Iblard (イバラード, Ibarādo). He created reference and background art for the Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart and also provided a cameo appearance as the voice of Minami. More recently, his works were given a more direct adaptation in the short film The Day I Harvested a Star (星をかった日, Hoshi o Katta Hi) which is shown exclusively at the Ghibli Museum. He directed the 2007 OVA Iblard Jikan, produced by Studio Ghibli. Inoue is currently a professor at Seian University of Art and Design. He attended the Kanazawa College of Art from 1971 to 1973.
Riyoko Ikeda (池田 理代子, Ikeda Riyoko; born December 18, 1947) is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She was one of the…Riyoko Ikeda (池田 理代子, Ikeda Riyoko; born December 18, 1947) is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She was one of the most popular mangaka in the 1970s, being best known for The Rose of Versailles.
Kōkei Tsuruya (弦屋 光渓, Tsuruya Kōkei, born July 1946 in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese…Kōkei Tsuruya (弦屋 光渓, Tsuruya Kōkei, born July 1946 in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a contemporary Japanese woodblock print artist, best known for his Kabuki actor portraits. In 1985, art dealer Robert Sawers referred to him as a modern-day Sharaku because of the expressive quality of his actor prints.
Man Arai (Japanese: 新井満 Arai Man; 7 May 1946 – 3 December 2021) was a Japanese writer and singer. In 1987, he won the…Man Arai (Japanese: 新井満 Arai Man; 7 May 1946 – 3 December 2021) was a Japanese writer and singer. In 1987, he won the Noma Literary New Face Prize for Vexation and Akutagawa Prize in 1988 for Tazunebito no Jikan.
Itō Takumi (伊藤 卓美; born on January 15, 1946, in the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) is a prominent Japanese printmaker and…Itō Takumi (伊藤 卓美; born on January 15, 1946, in the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) is a prominent Japanese printmaker and president of the Japan Print Society. His artwork has been featured on Japan Post postage stamps as well as featured in exhibitions at the Library of Congress and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Takumi currently teaches woodblock printing at Waseda University in Tokyo. Takumi's interest in the woodblock printing began at a young age when his father, a painter, encouraged his study of the arts. Having a special interest in Japanese matsuri festivals and folk art, especially mingei, many of Takumi's prints explore the local cultures of Japan's rural areas, such as his own Miyagi Prefecture.
Yoshihiko Funazaki (舟崎 克彦, Funazaki Yoshihiko; February 2, 1945 – October 15, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, poet…Yoshihiko Funazaki (舟崎 克彦, Funazaki Yoshihiko; February 2, 1945 – October 15, 2015) was a Japanese novelist, poet, illustrator, manga artist, songwriter, and assistant professor of Shirayuri College. He has written more than 300 books.
