Japanese Artists Overview

Alphabetical listing of all the artists on AkaTako.net including a representative image of their work, their name in English and Japanese, and a brief description to help you find who and what you are looking for.
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Using the traditional techniques of Nihon-ga, Akiko Ijichi focuses on the struggle of opposites - life and death, happiness and sadness, human and animal. Females are usually her protagonist, looking forward with a direct gaze and ready to overcome any challenges. イヂチアキコ
Japanese doll artist Amano Katan is well known for his tender and innocent doll works. He was staff at Pygmalion Doll Studio and created many Alice inspired dolls. He passed away November 1990 and his works continue to be shown posthumously. 天野可淡
Japanese artist Asaji Muroi explores themes of submission, loyalty, and subservience through his pencil drawings of a woman-dog or other character. An aloof man often observes and directs the scene. 室井亜砂二
A renaissance Japanese man, Asano Tadanobu is known for choosing independent and sometimes quirky acting roles. He is also a creative artist - painting, drawing, sketching as well as singing and playing the guitar. 浅野忠信
Osaka photographer Atsushi Tani creates worlds of darkness and fantasy through his camera's lens. The top choice of many doll artists, he also creates fairytale inspired works and digitally edited images with surgical influences. 谷敦志
Tokyo based artist Chika Tanikawa creates an alternate universe with her acrylic artworks. Her strong Japanese aesthetic sometimes has a pop of the surreal with a little monster or a sprinkle of outer space. The works invite you in to visit and make you long to return. 谷川千佳
Giant schoolgirls hang out in alleyways, classroom windows, laundromats, and other everyday places. Like a dream seen through a blue haze, Chika Yamada's ink and watercolor paintings bring you into an altered universe tinged with melancholy. ヤマダチカ
Chaotic anarchy meets terror and nightmare bodily abominations - Daisuke Ichiba transforms classic Japanese iconic images into a whole new level of horror. Working primarily in sketches and collages with a manga thrown in for good measure. A whole new genre of art not to be missed! 市場大介
Japanese artist Eimi Suzuki creates delicate and macabre collages by combining classical artworks remixed with CG and hand painted additions. Familiar works are given new meaning and impel you to give a second, deeper look with her new interpretation. スズキエイミ
Stylized girls clutch squishy oversized caterpillars as if they are their favorite teddy bears. With an attention to detail, Em Nishizuka produces sweet and fantastical paintings of flora and fauna alike. Sometimes the caterpillars grow and sometimes the girls shrink down. 西塚em
The handmade dolls of Japanese artist Etsuko Miura exhibit amputations, trauma, and medical probing. The frail bodies are coarsely repaired with metal staples and stitches which only highlight their beauty and delicate nature. 三浦悦子 More Info on Etsuko Miura.
The fantasy worlds created in Fuco Ueda's artwork evoke a sense of loneliness and beauty. The lithe girls move through their world (whether on land, underwater or swirling in the air) with an air of detachment as they encounter deer, turtles, and goldfish. 上田風子 More Info on Fuco Ueda.
Taking the traditional ukiyo-e technique of woodblock printing into contemporary territory, artist Fuhito Fujimiya hand carves wood blocks for each and every page of his manga. The nostalgic artwork gives life to stories about the human condition - even with non-human characters. 藤宮史
Classically trained nihonga artist Fuyuko Matsui brings a sense of darkness and mystery to her paintings. She uses her meticulous painting technique to draw you in to visceral scenes of fear, worry, loneliness, pain, and death. 松井冬子 More Info on Fuyuko Matsui.
The crosshatch line drawings of Gajin Tokuno celebrate human sexual organs in imaginative ways. In addition to realistic drawings, he transforms sexual organs from hidden body parts into animals and every day objects that we encounter regularly. 徳野雅仁 More Info on Gajin Tokuno.
Japanese rope artist, contemporary performer, bondage master, and photographer. Hajime Kinoko is known for his artistic displays of intricate shibari - taking rope work past a series of knots and transforming it into an authentic art form. 一鬼のこ
Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama has been creating iconic pin-up girls since the 1970s and continues to paint super-realistic fantasy women. He continues to paint new genres of beauty including futuristic robots, classic fairytales, modern shunga, and erotic centerfolds. 空山基
German artist Hans Bellmer's ball-joint dolls were purposely manipulated and twisted as a rejection of the Nazi occupation and their pursuit of the ideal figure. He was eventually labeled a degenerate and forced to flee to France where he was welcomed by the surrealists.
The paintings by Hikari Shimoda expose the isolation and loneliness often felt by children as they try to make sense of the world around them. Her distortions of reality convey deeper feelings than more literal representations could. 下田ひかり More Info on Hikari Shimoda.
Hippie Coco's carefully handcrafted stuffed animals are all unique creatures with their own personality and story. The cutest bunny rabbits, kitties, puppies, and teddy bears mix together with skeletons, zombies, and demons. Her detailed handiwork is evident in every stuffed animal.
Japanese artist Hiroaki Samura is well known for his highly detailed and realistic pencil drawings. His manga "Blade of the Immortal" is his most popular but the eroguro compilation "The Love of the Brute" is infamous for completely different reasons. 沙村広明
Japanese photographer Hiroshi Nonami elevates beauty to a new level by integrating organic elements into his compositions. Branches, butterflies & fish mingle with wings, horns & flowers and enhance the beauty of the human form. 野波 浩 More Info on Hiroshi Nonami.
Deeply saddened by the early death of her husband Irina Ionesco focused her love and attention on their young daughter. Her photography focuses on Eva throughout the years with additional nude models in opulent theatrical settings.
Widely regarded as one of the masters of eroguro, Jun Hayami's manga graphically depict an incredible level of violence and torture. The sad and sorrowful faces of the girls evoke a distance and loneliness even in the midst of the violations. 早見純
Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito brings us into a terrifying world where reality shifts, normal people are taken over by bizarre compulsions, and bodies morph into grotesque monsters. His stories have been adapted into frightening live-action or anime movies. 伊藤潤二
Japanese artist Junko Mizuno's Gothic kawaii style mixes the super cute with darker, more insidious elements. Her brightly colored images of girls with over-sized eyes and cartoonish hair often feature nudity, blood, or fantasy creatures. 水野純子
Tokyo artist Kana Miyamoto (formerly known as Kinoco) paints a world that looks very sweet and innocent at first glance. But there are sprinkles of poison and delinquency mixed in to the colorful scenes making them less fantasy and more reality. 宮本香那
Born in Osaka, model Kanako Tama has moved behind the camera. Starting with self-portraits, she had her first solo exhibition in 2012 and is now a renowned portrait photographer with a gentle perspective and deep connection. 珠かな子
Japanese illustrator Katsuya Terada has an unmatched love for machines and sci-fi influenced artwork. His erotic artwork seamlessly blends gears and gadgets into the female form and creates a futuristic world we all wish to inhabit. 寺田克也
Kenichi Koyama's art explores the self-destructive world of adolescent girls performing self-harm and self-mutilation. The scissor wielding girls are decidedly unhappy as they study, practice piano, lay in bed, and attend to each others wounds. こやまけんいち
Japanese photographer Kenichi Murata focuses on beautiful Japanese girls who are often nude or partially dressed in a variety of costumes - stockings, pearl necklaces, frilly dresses, kimonos, school uniforms, etc. He is also well known for his hand tinted prints. 村田兼一
Japanese photographer Kenny Horie's monochromate photos exude an air of dreamlike romanticism. Journey through different worlds ranging from post-apocalyptic futures, romantic walks in nature, or innocent fun at the playground. 堀江ケニー
Kira Imai's sweet illustrations are the epitome of Japanese Lolita culture. Slim girls adorned in pastel lace and ruffles float through ethereal landscapes. Her illustrations have been featured in "Gothic & Lolita Bible", "Shojo Beat", and for the Angelic Pretty clothing line. 今井キラ
Renowned Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama documents the beauty of the female figure with and without clothing. His work also focuses on the carefree innocence of adolescent girls in their every day life - in school, at the beach, running on the playground. 篠山紀信
Handmade kinbaku or shibari (Japanese rope bondage) charms by Kitanya Design Factory in Tokyo, Japan. Each charm is hand painted and hand tied with actual rope. Kinbaku charms can be used as cell phone straps, jewelry, zipper pulls, etc. More Info on Kitanya Design.
The originator of ball-jointed doll stockings and creator of the full-body suit for Lului Doll. Koh Ueno is a Japanese artist based outside of Tokyo. He hand air brushes each individual piece to achieve the realistic doll joints synonymous with vintage ball-jointed dolls. タブロヲ
A young, talented Japanese painter specializing in neo-Romanticism and neo-Mannerism styles, Koichi Iyoda naturally integrates fantasy elements into his highly detailed, realistic works and creates a believable daydream world. 伊豫田晃一
Japanese artist Koitsukihime is known for her all porcelain ball jointed dolls imbued with a lifelike spirit. Their delicate features are an enduring representation of our own selves - never changing and destined to last long after we are gone. 恋月姫
Japanese artist Kozue Kuroki creates a delicate pastel fantasy world with a dark background looming in the distance. Pale, slender girls are surrounded by flowers, skulls, and animals in a surreal world with no rules. 黒木こずゑ
Japanese artist Kuniyoshi Kaneko is famous for his photography of beautiful women as well as his stylized paintings and drawings. His most famous series is an interpretation of Alice and his main subjects are women, nudity, erotica, and bondage. 金子國義
Japanese artist Lhiannan:Shee creates fashion and accessories with designs influenced by the Leanan sídhe folklore. Transform into the enticing fairy muse simply by wearing these designs and you will surely inspire those around you.
Japanese nuigurumi (stuffed animal) artist brings an otherworldy almost alien like influence to her soft creatures. From bears with watercolor pastel patches, to dreadlocked nudibranches and other mysterious friends, her work is sure to spark your imagination. リエン
Japanese illustrator Makiko Sugawa's line drawings of darling girls emanate a graceful sense of the erotic while they bring fantasies to life. The girls are dressed in lingerie and lace, nude, or resembling ball-joint dolls - occasionally removing a limb or two as they see fit. 須川まきこ
The often shocking artwork of Makoto Aida produces a visceral reaction in the viewer by mixing traditional Japanese imagery with sex and violence. He explores taboo topics, challenges social norms, and is almost never "politically correct". 会田誠 More Info on Makoto Aida.
Japanese artist Mari Shimizu is renowned for her delicate ball joint dolls with cutaway chests exposing surreal scenes of humanoid rabbits, carousels, and angels. Her dolls are all constructed by hand and often display religious themes, tattoos, or evidence of trauma. 清水真理
Japanese doll artist Midori Hayashi's chimeric creations inhabit a dream world on the edge of a nightmare. Sweet and lovable children merge with insect, animal, and plants into an unsettling fusion of life. 林美登利
Using a gentle stroke, Japanese artist Mika Nitta creates organic worlds with tiny mushrooms and mold adorning beautiful female figures. She creates a harmony between human and animal, growth and decay, and life and death. 新田美佳
Japanese illustrator Mitsukazu Mihara was very influential in developing the Gothic Lolita style with her drawings of beautifully attired corpses and zombies. Her work was featured on the cover of the first eight volumes of "Gothic and Lolita Bible". 三原ミツカズ
Osaka artist Namio Harukawa is known for drawings of dominant women sitting on the faces of weak and submissive men. The women are generously proportioned and their rounded figures overwhelm the small men eager to be crushed. Subscribe for new items. 春川ナミオ
Popular Japanese model Nananano has catapulted to fame as a favorite subject of Kenichi Murata's hand colored portraits and Hajime Kinoko's modern kinbaku. She has also moved herself behind the camera in an array of sweet and sexy self-portrait series. 七菜乃
Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki is one of the most prolific photographers in the world with over 350 books to his name. His best known works are of beautiful women in bondage, painted flowers, his honeymoon with his wife, Japanese life, and lizards. 荒木経惟
Japanese artist Nori Tomizaki takes the art of ball-joint dolls to new levels with extravagant CG drawings and digitally altered photos of real girls who appear to have ball joints. Gothic Lolita dresses are accompanied by butterflies, caterpillars, and other naturistic elements. 富崎NORI
A fascination with accidents and medical fetishism are the basis for Romain Slocombe's body of work. His photographs and paintings of injured Asian women have become so iconic that he has almost monopolized the genre. More Info on Romain Slocombe.
The articulated dolls of Ryo Yoshida appear to be real-life maidens in his stunning photography and dissection play. His main goal is to transform the doll from a lifeless object and to instill a sense of life and presence into each doll he creates. 吉田良 More Info on Ryo Yoshida.
Well known for illustrations of sweet, kimono clad girls - Seiichi Hayashi paints a serene world. Their delicate movements and tender touch are brought to life in his fine-lined paintings along with their pets and traditional Japanese toys and games. 林静一 More Info on Seiichi Hayashi.
Two main characters (a boy with a bowl cut and a girl with her hair cut in a bob) travel through Shichinohe Masaru's surreal landscapes. They meet animals and floating geometeric shapes yet remain cool and calm during their adventures. 七戸優 More Info on Shichinohe Masaru.
The surreal and violent manga of Shintaro Kago is both comic and deep. Themes include satirical commentary on military, dismemberment and explosion of bodies, the influence of technology on life, and all forms of sexuality. 駕籠真太郎
Considered by many to be the godfather of Japanese articulated doll-making, Simon Yotsuya has been making dolls for over 55 years. Influenced by Hans Bellmer and Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, he also had a career as an actor. 四谷 シモン More Info on Simon Yotsuya.
The manga illustrations of Suehiro Maruo have extended into the art field & pop culture with his popular characters. Violent and taboo themes become fascinating and familiar with The Little Camellia Girl, Laughing Vampire, and vampires. More Info on Suehiro Maruo. 丸尾末広
The exquisite art of Takato Yamamoto explores themes of darkness, bondage, vampires, metamorphosis, love and death. The perspective is always calm and serene - never depicting violence - rather, it is impending or just completed. 山本タカト More Info on Takato Yamamoto.
Japanese language art magazine Talking Heads gives you a taste of today's best artists in Japan. Full color & black and white photos mix with interviews, recommendations and more. A real treat for the Japanese art enthusiast and a great way to discover new artists!
The ultra cute watercolor paintings by Japanese artist Tama only temporarily hide the dark and violent intentions of these girls. Their cruel ways are somehow made palatable (and even delicious!) by their sweet and innocent appearance. たま More Info on Tama.
Japanese ball jointed doll artist Tari Nakagawa creates haunting original dolls with a deep sense of melancholy. The monochromatic figures are at rest in a state of decay with an occasional rib cage exposing the secrets which had been held so close in life. 中川多理
Classic fairy tale imagery told from a new and fresh perspective. Enter into a woodland dream of flower crowns and friendly wildlife with the peaceful and welcoming entrance into the whimsical forest of our childhood dreams. 長谷川友美
Traditional Japanese folk tales and ghost stories are illustrated by Toshio Saeki with a modern twist. Violence & eroticism mix with schoolgirls & bondage to create an unnerving effect in his nightmarish eroguro works. More Info on Toshio Saeki. 佐伯俊男
Controversial UK artist living in Japan for 20+ years, Trevor Brown's art either scares you or resonates with you deeply. Beloved by survivors of childhood trauma, his art depicts the horrors of youth with a kawaii theme and various paraphilias mixed in. More Info on Trevor Brown.
Japanese sculpture artist Tsutomu Kawakami adapts the ancient technique of kanshitsu which is traditionally used to create Buddhist statues. The dry lacquer figures are a distressing yet harmonious combination of emaciated youth and looming death. 川上勉
The ultra-violent manga of Uziga Waita strikes fear and awe into the reader with graphic depictions of bizarrely creative murder, torture, and rape. The most terrible nightmare you could imagine comes to life in black and white on the pages his manga. 氏賀Y太
Japanese art magazines, anthologies, collections, collaborations, print sets, and more which combine several artists into one item. Also a few individual artists who do not have their own page on AkaTako yet.
Japanese language art magazines themed on a particular subject are packed with beautiful full color photos. Enjoyable in any language, Yaso opens up a new world in every issue and is a great introduction to new artists.
Working primarily in black and white, Yoh Monochrome creates fantastically detailed illustrations often featured in KERA, Gothic Lolita Bible, and other Japanese counter culture publications.Big hair and even bigger eyes, his works are pure Japanese style. 妖のモノクロ
Japanese artist Yoichi Nebashi paints enchanting fairy girls in candy colors. The highly saturated palette imparts a strong element of fantasy and wonder to the sensual girls while the backgrounds are brimming with an abundance of flora and fauna. 根橋洋一
Kyoto based artist Yoko Mill uses her formal education in philosophy and the arts as a foundation to build a new world in each of her oil paintings. She combines fantasy, pop surrealism, and kawaii to create a unique and dreamy new reality that invites you to linger. ミルヨウコ
The sparsely populated paintings of Japanese artist Yoshiaki Machino focus on pale red-haired girls with elements of surrealism. Their direct gazes and unashamed postures contrast with their vulnerability and innocence. 町野好昭
An artist with a unique style, Yuji Moriguchi blends modern manga with classic Ukiyo-e elements into his paintings. Made famous by his Hokusai inspired paintings of women and octopus or squid, his work has an erotic tone with a sense of fantasy. 森口裕二
Nagoya artist Yuka Sakuma uses crushed mineral pigments and Japanese ink to paint delicate portraits of pale girls with curling tendrils of hair, lively flowers or butterflies, luscious fruits, cuddling unlikely pets, and even wearing fanciful devil masks. 佐久間友香
Japanese artist creates an alternate universe of well known fairy tales that are reimagined in her own unique artistic style. Paying special attention to what might happen to the nebulous "happily ever after", she keeps the story going into new possibilities. 午睡の王国
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