10 Digital Artists: Japanese artists you should know
In Japan, digital art is celebrated as a rich mix of tradition and craft; an exciting blend of the old and the new. The digital art movement is helping Japanese creators redefine how they express themselves, offering experiences that are more interactive and engaging than ever before.
Japanese artists are bringing together traditional styles with modern technology to create fresh, captivating work that’s making waves worldwide. Using digital tools, they’re expanding what’s possible in art, connecting with new audiences, and adding their voices to the contemporary art conversation.
Here are ten fantastic artists shaping Japan’s digital art scene, each with their unique take on what art can be. From mesmerizing generative patterns to 3D animated pieces that pull viewers in, these artists explore themes that are dreamy, personal, and thought-provoking.
Whether you are an artist looking for inspiration, a curator working on an exhibition, or a digital arts fan looking to discover digital artists, this list is for you.
Here’s ten of the most remarkable digital artists from Japan who are shaping the digital art landscape.
Scroll the learn more about them! Here’s the featured artists:SenbakuSaeko EharaNakano YasuhiroEmi KusanoYuuki MoritaMatsunaga TakafumiKaoru TanakaIbuki KuramochiShunsuke TakawoOkazzLet's be friends on Instagram!
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Senbaku is a Japanese creative coder and illustrator based in Kanto, Japan, whose work combines digital art with influences from Japanese folklore and ghostly themes. After studying ethnography and arts management in graduate school, Senbaku began a career in an art gallery. However, after being laid off during pregnancy, she dedicated her time to raising her family, finding herself distanced from her creative community.
To reconnect, she explored new interests, from making handmade items to drawing manga and learning Python. Her journey into creative coding began with a micro:bit purchased to play with her child, where drawing her first circle on-screen sparked a newfound passion for generative art. Since then, Senbaku has immersed herself in digital art using p5.js, a platform she now uses to create intricate, coded visuals that blend folklore-inspired subjects with her unique style.
Her work has been showcased in significant Tokyo exhibitions, including The Installation II at Bunkamura and Poems in Code - The Current State of Generative Art / Programmed Images at Yebisu Garden Place. She is also a member of Processing Community Japan.
Saeko Ehara is a Kirakira (Japanese word for glitter, glisten, twinkle) artist and video journalist based in Tokyo. She represents Kirakira motifs such as jewels and flowers in her works and is inspired by Japanese Anime culture. With a background in oil painting, she is interested in finding a connection between analog and digital experiences and mixing the old with the new.
Saeko’s inspiration comes from memories and joys of her childhood. She continues to learn and explore the expressions of Kirakira using multiple types of software to make the world full of Kirakira and joy through her art.
“In my more recent creations, I integrate a diverse range of AI-generated images. However, a perpetual theme persists: “I would love to make the world full of Kirakira.” As a result, my artworks consistently radiate and twinkle, despite their often distinct appearances.”
Read our interview with Saeko to learn about her art, creative process, and inspirations.
Nakano Yasuhiro is a Japanese media artist and director whose work brings together traditional arts with modern technology, using Japanese sumi ink and 3D techniques to reveal themes that are often invisible or intangible. Known as a pioneer in digital art, Nakano created the world’s first “moving sumi-e,” an animated ink painting that continuously unfolds within a frame. All his works are crafted by hand, maintaining a deep connection to traditional techniques while exploring digital expression.
Nakano’s journey began with a knack for art and storytelling. While still a student, he worked at a major art gallery before transitioning into film production, where he directed notable works, including the remastered theatrical trailer for The Godfather, which earned recognition from Francis Ford Coppola. Over the years, he has directed animations, movie trailers, and commercials for global audiences, including projects for Walt Disney Japan and the ending animation for Transformers: Robots in Disguise.
In 2011, he turned his focus to media art, introducing his groundbreaking “Moving Sumi-e.” This work captured the ephemeral beauty of moving images and transformed them into permanent objects. Each piece is displayed using an original application and frame that he designed, and his innovative display method is registered as a utility model. In March 2021, he embraced NFTs to preserve the rights of his digital works, adding a new dimension of ownership for collectors.
Nakano’s art has been exhibited internationally, with solo shows at Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store and CCC Shizuoka City Culture and Creative Industry Promotion Center. His work was also featured at NFT.NYC, and in 2022, he received the Award of Excellence at the Exhibition of Contemporary Artists in Motion.
“Video has a momentary beauty I’m trying it eternal with Art.”
Emi Kusano is a Tokyo-based multidisciplinary artist whose work blends the worlds of AI, nostalgia, and contemporary culture. With a passion for exploring the intersections of retro-futurism and modern technology, Emi uses AI to create hyperrealistic representations of collective and individual memories, making her art a powerful reflection of the human experience.
Born in 1990, Emi started her art career as a street photographer in the vibrant district of Harajuku during her teens, which eventually led to an exhibit at the renowned V&A Museum in London.
Since then, Emi’s innovative creations have gained international acclaim, with her work being featured on the cover of WWD Japan and showcased in prestigious auctions at Christie’s. Her art has been exhibited at notable venues such as the Saatchi Gallery and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, and it has been collected by art enthusiasts in over a dozen countries.
Her work invites viewers to reflect on themes of identity, memory, and the impact of technology on society, all while celebrating the rich tapestry of Japanese culture. With a commitment to using her art as a medium for dialogue, Emi Kusano is an exciting voice in the contemporary art scene, bringing together the past with the future in a uniquely engaging way.
Yuuki Morita is a talented digital artist and creature designer based in Japan, known for his work as a digital sculptor and concept artist for films, games, and advertisements. With over ten years of experience in the digital art world, Yuuki has collaborated with a variety of renowned clients, including AMD, Legendary Pictures, and Koei Tecmo Games.
His work is a unique exploration of the interplay between digital freedom and the tangible constraints of the physical world. In the limitless expanse of digital creation, he says that anything is possible, allowing his imagination to run wild and free. However, as he transitions these creations into physical sculptures, he grapples with the realities of gravity and materiality, adding layers of meaning to his pieces.
By interpreting forms inspired by the natural world through digital technology and realizing them as physical objects, Yuuki invites us to reflect on the relationship between human creativity and nature while expressing his fascination with the beauty and transformation inherent in nature.
Matsunaga Takafumi is a talented director and visual designer based in Tokyo, Japan. Born in 1991, he graduated with a degree in Visual Design from the Kyoto City University of Arts. After spending three years as a graphic designer at an advertising production company, Matsunaga joined WOW inc., where he currently works as a director and visual designer.
Matsunaga stands out for his direction and production work across a wide range of fields, from on-screen to AR and real space, including video works, installations, and spatial direction. He seeks distinctive visual expression by immersing himself in his work and merging diverse forms of expression.
In addition to his work at WOW inc., Matsunaga is a member of the film production group Tsuribu Tokyo, where he collaborates with fellow artists to create short films and music videos. Since 2022, he has also taken on the role of part-time lecturer in the Department of Imaging Arts at Musashino Art University, where he shares his expertise and inspires the next generation of creatives.
Kaoru Tanaka is a talented digital artist based in Japan, known for her innovative approach to real-time generative art and experimentation. She has exhibited her work in various prestigious venues, including Prada Extends Tokyo and Vellum LA as part of Artists Who Code: Generative Art NFTs by Women Artists.
Using TouchDesigner, she creates a variety of works, including installations, videos, wall art, and interactive experiences. Her art captures the essence of life force through digital mediums, allowing viewers to engage with her unique perspective on the world.
Through her process of repeated experimentation, Kaoru visualizes how we perceive the life force around us, providing instantaneous visual feedback that invites reflection. Her recent work, Path of Tones, explores the connection between sound and daily life, illustrating how a collection of ordinary sounds and moments contributes to our understanding of the world.
“My inspiration usually comes from everyday experiences, like the flowers I see on my walk or a passing view of the city. I also gain inspiration from movies and music — I guess I am not totally conscious of my creative process. However, by training an algorithm to output the feelings I felt when I had that inspiration, I can create a pool of expressions.”
Kaoru Tanaka is also featured in 10 Digital Artists: The Reign of Generative Art
Ibuki Kuramochi is a Japanese-born interdisciplinary artist who is currently based in Los Angeles. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Sydney, Taipei, Rome, and more.
She incorporates the Japanese modern/contemporary dance Butoh, performance, video, installation, and painting in her art and explores concepts around the body, the resonance of thought and body, metamorphosis, cyborg feminism, and post-human feminism.
“My work evokes a break from the oblivion of the body in today’s virtual world, and an awakening to a new physicality extracted from the media.”
Read our interview with Ibuki to learn about her art, creative process, and inspirations.
Shunsuke Takawo is a creative coder from Kumamoto, Japan. He is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Media Expression at Konan Women's University, and a Representative Director at the Generative Art Promotion Foundation.
His work as an artist is recognizable for its attention to color and texture. Shunsuke Takawo has studied photography during the analogue-digital transitional period, which, he believes, is the underlying reason for his sensitivity to detailed colors and textures.
Shunsuke Takawo advocates for daily coding as an activity to connect programming with daily life — he believes in discovering the small new things in life instead of programming in a purpose - or result-oriented manner. His generative NFT art project, Generativemasks, is a result of this practice.
Generativemasks is a collection of 10,000 unique pieces that’s created by an algorithm which had a focus on “the cognitive nature of human beings trying to find something of characters or life in symmetrical patterns.” The project was a huge success in terms of building a community around Takawo’s work and was sold out in less than two hours upon minting.
Shunsuke Takawo is also featured in 10 Digital Artists: The Reign of Generative Art.
Okazz is a Japanese generative artist and creative coder who brings his vibrant imagination to life using p5.js. Drawing inspiration from the rich subculture of anime and manga, Okazz creates dynamic art that resonates with the playful spirit of his roots. His work often reflects the colorful aesthetics and storytelling found in these mediums, transforming them into generative NFTs.
Okazz is best-known for designing KUMALEON, a character-based project that combines generative art and PFPs. It’s a celebration of Kawaii Culture and Generative Art both globally and in Japan. He has exhibited his work at Bright Moments, dialog(), NOX Gallery, and more.
His recent series, Square Symphony for Bright Moments Tokyo features a unique grid structure that symbolizes his earliest memories as an artist. He explains, “Each piece may seem simple, but within the eight motions, it explores concepts of joy and comfort.” For Okazz, returning to his artistic beginnings felt like a nostalgic journey back to childhood, reminiscent of the days spent stacking blocks and creating something new.
“I have always been interested in both art and programming, so I looked up “art programming” and came across Processing. That’s how my generative art journey started. ”
Read next:
10 Digital Artists: Women in digital arts you need to know
10 Digital Artists: Black artists you should know
10 Digital Artists: Asian Women Defining The Landscape
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