# List of Japanese artists

This is a list of Japanese artists. This list is intended to encompass Japanese who are primarily fine artists. For information on those who work primarily in film, television, advertising, manga, anime, video games, or performance arts, please see the relevant respective articles.

## Heian and Kamakura periods

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Kose Kanaoka | 9th century | Painter of landscapes, court and buddhist paintings, proponent of Yamato-e styles and methods |
| Fujiwara Takanobu | 1142–1205 | Nise-e Painter |
| Fujiwara Nobuzane | 1176–1265 | Nise-e Painter, son of Fujiwara Takanobu |

## Sculptors

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Tori Busshi | late 6th to early 7th centuries | Busshi, patron sculptor to Shōtoku Taishi and Soga no Umako |
| Jōchō | d. 1057 | Busshi; popularized yosegi technique of carving one figure from many pieces of wood |
| Kaikei | mid-to-late 12th century | Busshi founder of the Kei school |
| Jōkei | late 12th century | Busshi of the Kei school |
| Unkei | 1151–1223 | Busshi of the Kei school |
| Tankei | 1173–1256 | Busshi of the Kei school |
| Kōkei | active 1175–1200 | Busshi head of the Kei school during reconstruction of Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji |
| Hidari Jingorō | active 1596–1644 | Painter, sculptor and carver, his works include many of the carvings at Nikkō Tōshō-gū |
| Enkū | 1632–1695 | Buddhist monk and Busshi sculptor |
| Gechu | active 18th century | Sculptor |
| Naitō Toyomasa | 1773–1856 | Sculptor of netsuke |
| Tetsuya Noguchi | Born 1980 | Sculptor |
| Chie Aoki | Born 1981 | Sculptor |

## Pottery and ceramics

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Hamada Shōji | 1894–1978 | Potter, declared a Living National Treasure in 1955 |
| Jun Kaneko | Born 1942 | Potter and ceramics artist |
| Yo Akiyama | Born 1953 | Ceramic artist of the Sōdeisha movement |
| Kimiyo Mishima | 1932-2024 | Ceramic artist |
| Masaya Imanishi | Born 1947 | Ceramic artist |

## Sumi-e (Ink Painting)

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Josetsu | 1405–1423 | Suiboku painter, likely a teacher of Tenshō Shūbun |
| Tenshō Shūbun | 1414–1463 | Sumi-e painter |
| Sesshū Tōyō | 1420–1506 | Associated with Sumi-e |
| Shingei | 1431–1485 | Also known as Geiami, yamato-e ink painter |
| Soami | d. 1525 | Painter and landscape artist; one of the first nanga painters |
| Yosa Buson | 1716–1784 | Painter who perfected the nanga style, also a renowned poet |
| Ike no Taiga | 1723–1776 | Painter who perfected the nanga style |
| Koho Yamamoto | 1922- | Student of Chiura Obata |

## Kanō School

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Kanō Masanobu | 1434–1530 | Founder of the Kanō School, chief painter to Ashikaga shogunate during his time |
| Kanō Motonobu | 1476–1559 | Painter of the Kanō School, son of Kanō Masanobu |
| Kanō Eitoku | 1543–1590 | Painter, re-founder of the Kanō school |
| Kanō Mitsunobu | d. 1608 | Son of Eitoku, inherited Kanō school after his father's death |
| Kanō Tan'yū | 1602–1674 | Prominent Kanō school painter, official painter to the Tokugawa shogunate |
| Kanō Hōgai | 1828–1888 | Among the last of the Kanō school painters, incorporated Western stylistic elements |
| Hashimoto Gahō | 1835–1908 | Among the last of the Kanō school painters, chief professor of painting at two schools |

## Rimpa School

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Hon'ami Kōetsu | 1558–1637 | Painter, co-founder of the Rimpa school |
| Tawaraya Sōtatsu | d. 1643 | Painter, co-founder of the Rimpa school |
| Ogata Kōrin | 1657–1716 | Painter and lacquerer, major figure in the Rimpa school |
| Ogata Kenzan | 1663–1743 | Painter and potter, major figure in the Rimpa school |
| Sakai Hōitsu | 1761–1828 | Painter, associated with the Rimpa school |
| Kamisaka Sekka | 1866–1942 | The most recent painting master of the Rimpa school and craftsman |

## Tosa School

| Name | Life | Comments | Reference |
| Iwasa Matabei | 1578–1650 | Tosa school painter of genre and historical scenes, predecessor to ukiyo-e | |

## Kyoto School

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Tomioka Tessai | 1836–1924 | Painter and calligrapher of the Kyoto School |
| Maruyama Ōkyo | 1733–1795 | Sumi-e painter, founder of Shijō school |
| Kikuchi Yōsai | 1781–1878 | Painter of the Kyoto, Shijō, and Maruyama schools |

## Nihonga Painters

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Yokoyama Taikan | 1868–1958 | Painter |
| Okuda Gensou | 1912–2003 | Nihonga painter of the Shōwa era, gave his name to 'Gensou red' pigment |
| Goto Jin | Born 1968 | Nihonga painter of the Heisei era.Human Beauty paintings. |
| Fuyuko Matsui | Born 1974 | Contemporary Nihonga painter living in Tokyo. |

## Eccentrics and smaller schools

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Ogura Yonesuke Itoh | 1870–1940 | Japanese born painter of Hawaii's Volcano School |
| Otagaki Rengetsu | 1791–1851 | Calligrapher and poet |
| Hasegawa Settan | d. 1843 | Painter of the Hasegawa school, ukiyo-e printmaker, and sculptor |
| Hasegawa Tohaku | 1539–1610 | Ink painter, founder of the Hasegawa school |
| Shibata Zeshin | 1807–1891 | Painter trained in the Kyoto School, master craftsman and innovator, particularly in lacquer |
| Eijiro Miyama | Born 1934 | Outsider artist known as the "Hat Man" |

## Ukiyo-e painters and printmakers

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Hishikawa Moronobu | 1618–1694 | "Father of ukiyo-e |
| Torii Kiyonobu I | 1664–1729 | Printmaker |
| Sukenobu | 1682–1752 | Ukiyo-e painter, Miyagawa school |
| Miyagawa Shunsui | fl. c. 1740-60s | Ukiyo-e painter, son and student of Miyagawa Chōshun |
| Miyagawa Isshō | mid-18th century | Painter, student of Miyagawa Chōshun |
| Okumura Masanobu | 1686–1764 | Printmaker, Torii school initially |
| Toriyama Sekien | 1712–1788 | Printmaker, teacher of Utamaro |
| Suzuki Harunobu | 1724–1770 | Printmaker |
| Katsukawa Shunshō | 1726–1792 | Printmaker, leading figure in the Katsukawa school |
| Sharaku | d. 1801 | One of the greatest and most mysterious ukiyo-e printmakers; career spanned only ten months |
| Kitao Shigemasa | 1739–1820 | Printmaker-Founder of Kitao school of ukiyo-e |
| Torii Kiyonaga | 1752–1815 | Printmaker, Fourth titular head of the Torii school |
| Utamaro | 1753–1806 | Printmaker, painter |
| Koryusai | 1735–1790 | Printmaker |
| Hokusai | 1760–1849 | Ukiyo-e painter, woodblock print artist, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji |
| Toyokuni | 1769–1825 | Printmaker, associated with the Utagawa school |
| Utagawa Kunimasa | 1773–1810 | Printmaker |
| Toyohiro | 1773–1828 | Printmaker and painter of the Utagawa school, teacher of Hiroshige |
| Kawahara Keiga | 1786–1860? | Painter on paper, silk and wood at Dejima, Nagasaki and on travels through Japan. Biological depictions of flowers and animals for Philipp Franz von Siebold, scenes with persons in- and outdoors, and at the court of Edo |
| Hiroshige | 1797–1858 | Ukiyo-e painter and woodblock print artist, Sixty-nine Stations on the Kiso Kaidō, Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and 100 Famous Views of Edo |
| Konishi Hirosada | 1810–1864 | Printmaker of the Osaka school |
| Utagawa Kunisada II | 1823–1880 | Printmaker of the Utagawa school |
| Hokuei | d. 1837 | Printmaker |
| Kunimasu | Unknown | Printmaker |
| Kawanabe Kyosai | 1831–1889 | Student of Kuniyoshi, first Japanese political cartoonist |
| Toyohara Kunichika | 1835–1900 | Printmaker known for actor prints |
| Yoshitoshi | 1839–1892 | Printmaker, one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e |

## Modern artists

| Name | Life | Comments |
| Koun Takamura | 1851–1934 | Father of Kotaro Takamura, sculptor of Ueno Park statue of Saigō Takamori |
| Tama Kiyohara | 1861–1939 | Western-style painter, wife of sculptor Vincenzo Ragusa, who lived 52 years in Sicily. Also known as Eleonora Ragusa |
| Arai Yoshimune | 1863-1941 | Woodblock print artist of the shin hanga movement |
| Kuroda Seiki | 1866–1924 | Painter who introduced impressionism to Japan |
| Kume Keiichiro | 1866–1934 | Impressionist painter trained in France |
| Okada Saburōsuke | 1869–1939 | Painter, mostly in the Yōga style, and art professor |
| Toyozo Arakawa | 1874–1985 | Well-known ceramic painter |
| Ito Yuhan | 1882-1951 | Woodblock print artist of the shin hanga movement |
| Kotaro Takamura | 1883–1956 | Sculptor and poet, combining Western styles with Japanese tradition |
| Rosanjin | 1883–1959 | Calligrapher, ceramicist and restaurateur |
| Tsuguharu Foujita | 1886–1968 | Painter and engraver, applied French oil painting techniques to traditional Japanese painting |
| Ohno Bakufu | 1888–1976 | Painter and printmaker |
| Kawai Kanjirō | 1890–1966 | Potter and a key figure in mingei (Japanese folk art) and studio pottery movements |
| Yasuo Kuniyoshi | 1893–1953 | Migrated to New York from Japan in 1906. Well known for his paintings related to Social Realism |
| Kanpū Ōmata | 1894–1947 | Painter and waka poet |
| Haruko Hasegawa | 1895–1967 | Painter, illustrator, writer; she specialized in war painting |
| Kaita Murayama | 1896–1919 | Painter, known primarily for his work as an author |
| Bumpei Usui | 1898–1994 | Painter, born in Japan, emigrated to New York in 1921 |
| Ichiro Fukuzawa | 1896–1992 | Surrealist painter |
| Iwao Yamawaki | 1898–1987 | Bauhaus educated photographer and architect |
| Kenzo Okada | 1902–1982 | Abstract expressionist painter in New York City and Japan |
| Shiko Munakata | 1903–1975 | Woodcut artist, painter, and calligrapher |
| Koiso Ryouhei | 1903–1988 | Painter of World War II military scenes |
| Isamu Noguchi | 1904–1988 | Sculptor |
| Jiro Yoshihara | 1905–1972 | Founding member of Gutai group |
| Migishi Setsuko | 1905–1999 | Painter and illustrator known as one of the pioneering Japanese women in oil painting |
| Suda Kokuta | 1906–1990 | Abstract and Western-style painter, calligrapher |
| Hideo Date | 1907–2004 | Immigrated to California from Osaka, Japan. When in Los Angeles, he was influenced by artist and teacher Stanton MacDonald-Wright at the Art Students' League in Los Angeles. |
| Taro Yashima | 1908–1994 | Children's book Illustrator and Author |
| Yozo Hamaguchi | 1909–2000 | Mezzotint printmaker |
| Minami Keiko | 1911–2004 | Aquatint engraver and printmaker |
| Yoshio Fujimaki | 1911–disappeared 1935 | Sōsaku-hanga woodblock printmaker |
| Itchiku Kubota | 1917–2003 | Textile artist |
| Tomiyama Taeko | 1921–2021 | Visual artist, painter |
| Tsuruko Yamazaki | 1925–2019 | Avant-garde artist; member of the Gutai group |
| Michio Ihara | Born 1928 | Sculptor |
| Tsunehisa Kimura | 1928–2008 | Photomontage artist |
| Shozo Shimamoto | 1928–2013 | Gutai group artist |
| Tezuka Osamu | 1928–1989 | Famous manga artist with works like Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion |
| Yayoi Kusama | Born 1929 | Conceptual artist, self-described "obsessive artist" |
| Minoru Niizuma | 1930–1998 | Abstract sculptor |
| Shigeo Fukuda | 1932–2009 | Sculptor, graphic artist and poster designer who created optical illusions |
| Ushio Shinohara | Born 1932 | Japanese Neo-Dadaist artist |
| On Kawara | 1933–2014 | Conceptual Artist |
| Yoko Ono | Born 1933 | Conceptual and performance artist, singer, and widow of John Lennon |
| Fujiko Nakaya | Born 1933 | Fog sculptor |
| Morino Hiroaki | Born 1934 | Potter |
| Shusaku Arakawa | 1936–2010 | Abstract painter and architect from Tokyo, living in New York since 1961 |
| Keiichi Tanaami | Born 1936 | Multi-genre artist from Tokyo working as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist. |
| Hiroshi Tomihari | Born 1936 | Woodcut printmaker |
| Susumu Shingu | Born 1937 | Kinetic sculptor. His nature-inspired works are constructed of highly engineered materials, commonly steel and Teflon |
| Shotaro Ishinomori | 1938–1998 | Manga artist and mechanical designer of Cyborg 009 and Super Sentai (Goranger to J.A.K.Q.) |
| Junko Chodos | Born 1939 | Mixed media artist residing in the United States |
| Kanda Nissho | 1937–1970 | Farmer and painter of agricultural scenes |
| Michiko Suganuma | Born 1940 | Urushi lacquer artist, coating original technique to traditional Japanese-urushi |
| Tetsuya Noda | Born 1940 | Print artist |
| Tadao Okazaki | Born 1943 | Painter |
| Go Nagai | Born 1945 | Manga artist and mechanical designer of Mazinger Z, Getter Robo and Devilman |
| Shigeru Nakanishi | Born 1946 | Oil painter |
| Kiyoto Ota | Born 1948 | Japanese-Mexican sculptor |
| Ryosuke Cohen | Born 1948 | Mail artist |
| Naohisa Inoue | Born 1948 | Surrealist painter of fantasy lands |
| Jin Homura | Born 1948 | Oil painter, primarily in primary colors |
| Susumu Matsushita | Born 1950 | Manga artist, air painter, character designer and concept artist |
| Minoru Ohira | born 1950 | Japanese-born artist in California |
| Toeko Tatsuno | 1950–2014 | Abstract painter, printmaker, and professor at Tama Art University |
| Yasumasa Morimura | Born 1951 | Appropriation artist |
| Katsura Funakoshi | Born 1951 | Sculptor and printmaker |
| Yoshitaka Amano | Born 1952 | Character designer, illustrator, printmaker, painter and sculptor |
| Shigeru Miyamoto | Born 1952 | Video game artist, character designer, director and producer of Nintendo |
| Naoyuki Kato | Born 1953 | Illustrator, focusing on mechanical designs and anime/manga concept art |
| Noriko Shinohara | Born 1953 | Multi-disciplinary fine artist with drawing and printmaking series, "Cutie & Bullie". |
| Kenjiro Okazaki | Born 1955 | Painter, sculptor, architect theorist |
| Tatsuo Miyajima | Born 1957 | Conceptual artist based in Ibaraki, Japan |
| Hiroshi Senju | Born 1958, Tokyo | Painter, modernism expressed through ancient method of Japanese painting |
| Yoshiteru Otani | Born 1958 | Cartoonist |
| Yoshitomo Nara | Born 1959 | Pop artist |
| Yoshiko Shimada | Born 1959 | Printmaker and video artist |
| Takeshi Motomiya | Born 1959 | Abstract painter from Tokyo, living in Barcelona since 1986. Grandson of Japanese artists Migishi Setsuko and Migishi Kōtarō. |
| Osamu Sato | Born 1960 | Digital artist, photographer, and composer |
| Hiroshi Ōnishi | 1961–2011 | Painter, professor at Tokyo University of the Arts |
| Naoko Tosa | Born 1961 | Media artist |
| Takashi Murakami | Born 1962 | Sculptor and painter, founder of the Superflat movement |
| Shiro Takatani | Born 1963 | Visual artist |
| Minako Nishiyama | Born 1965 | Contemporary painter and sculptor |
| Tomoko Takahashi | Born 1966 | Installation artist based in London |
| Ryoji Ikeda | Born 1966 | Visual artist |
| Mariko Mori | Born 1967, Tokyo, Japan | Highly celebrated contemporary video and photographic artist |
| Yoko Nagayama | Born 1968 | Enka singer, J-pop idol, actress |
| Junichi Kakizaki | Born 1971, Nagano | Sculptor, floral artist, land and environmental artist focusing on floral design |
| Rokudenashiko | Born 1972 | Sculptor and manga artist |
| Ryota Matsumoto | Birthdate unknown | Visual artist |
| Miya Ando | Born 1973 | Award-winning Post-minimalist painter and sculptor working in aluminum, steel and glass |
| Mori Chack | Born 1973 | Graphics designer |
| Chiharu Shiota | Born 1972 | Visual artist |
| Chinatsu Ban | Born 1973 | Painter and sculptor |
| Yurie Nagashima | Born 1973 | Photographer, writer and curator |
| Tanabe Chikuunsai IV | Born 1973 | Bamboo master and sculptor |
| Tetsuya Ishida | 1973–2005 | Contemporary Surrealist painter |
| Fuyuki Yamakawa | Born 1973 | Sound and performance artist |
| Yutaka Inagawa | Born 1974 | Painter, line artist, photographer producing digital collage |
| Chiho Aoshima | Born 1974 | Pop artist in the Superflat movement |
| Aya Takano | Born 1976 | Pop artist in the Superflat movement |
| Tetsuya Noguchi | Born 1980 | Contemporary artist and sculptor |
| Tets Ohnari | Born 1980 | Contemporary artist and sculptor living in Prague and Tokyo |
| Aki Sasamoto | Born 1980 | Performance artist based in New York City |
| Nahoko Kojima | Born 1981 | Contemporary paper cut artist, pioneered Kirie as sculpture |
| Kohei Fujito | Born 1983 | Contemporary Ainu folk artist |
| Mitsunori Kimura | Born 1983 | Japanese contemporary artist |
| Tsubasa Kato | Born 1984 | Japanese contemporary artist |
| Mari Katayama | Born 1987 | Japanese multimedia artist and photographer |
| You Shiina | Birthdate unknown | Japanese illustrator and manga artist |
| Yuki Iiyama | Born 1988 | Japanese contemporary artist |