Features & Guides

Who Was Toshusai Sharaku? The “Mystery Artist” Who Vanished After Ten Months: Major Actor Prints, Theories on His Identity, and Where to See Them

Toshusai Sharaku debuted suddenly in 1794 with 28 mica-ground okubi-e actor portraits and disappeared about ten months later. A guide to his four periods and major works, the theories about who he was, and where to see his prints.

Who Was Kitagawa Utamaro? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of Beauties Behind “Three Beauties of the Kansei Era,” and Where to See Them

Kitagawa Utamaro won fame with okubi-e close-up portraits of women, working with the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo. A guide to his life and major works, his clash with the shogunate’s censorship, and where to see his work, including the British Museum’s Edo painting exhibition.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Hiroshima Art Guide: Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander, Dreamination, and the Hiroshima Museum of Art, Prefectural Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art

“Hiroshima Castle Winter Wander 2026” brings the first projection mapping to the castle keep from December 18, and “Hiroshima Dreamination” has moved to December 4–January 24. A guide to the winter night events, exhibitions at three city museums in the same period, and New Year closing days.

Who Was Utagawa Hiroshige? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and Where to See Them

Utagawa Hiroshige won fame with “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and his “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” was copied by Van Gogh. A guide to his life and major works, the color known as “Hiroshige blue,” and where to see his prints, from the Tokyo National Museum’s Hiroshige exhibition to museums named after him.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Aizuwakamatsu Art Guide: Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping, Sazaedo, Oyakuen Garden and the Fukushima Museum

For three nights from November 20, “Tsuruga-jo Castle Projection Mapping 2026” lights up the keep and stone walls with imagery inspired by Aizu crafts. This guide covers the castle keep, the Fukushima Museum, Oyakuen Garden and the double-spiral Sazaedo to visit by day, with admission, hours and the last loop bus.

Who Was Katsushika Hokusai? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master Behind “The Great Wave,” and Where to See Them

Known worldwide for “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” Katsushika Hokusai kept painting until his death at 90. A guide to his life, his major works from “Hokusai Manga” and “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” to the paintings of his final years, and where to see them, including The Sumida Hokusai Museum and the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse.

Who Was Utagawa Kuniyoshi? Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of Warriors, Cats and Giant Skeletons, and Where to See Them

Utagawa Kuniyoshi won fame with his “Suikoden” warrior prints and still astonishes viewers with his cat caricatures and the giant skeleton of “Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre.” A guide to his life, major works, the wit that dodged the Tenpo Reforms, and where to encounter his prints and video installations.

What Is Japonisme? How Ukiyo-e Influenced Monet and Van Gogh, and Related Exhibitions to See in Japan Now

Japonisme was the craze for Japanese art in late-19th-century Europe. How did ukiyo-e influence Monet and Van Gogh? A guide to the key artists and works, and related exhibitions in Japan in 2026–2027.

Famous Japanese Yokai and Masterpieces of Yokai Art: The Night Parade Scrolls, Toriyama Sekien, Hokusai, Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi—and Museums to Meet Them

Kappa, tengu, oni, tsukumogami and rokurokubi: Japan’s yokai have been drawn from Muromachi-period picture scrolls to Edo-period yokai encyclopedias, ukiyo-e and manga. A guide to representative yokai, masterpieces of yokai art, and museums and exhibitions where you can meet them in person or on screen.

12 Famous Ukiyo-e Prints: From Hokusai’s “Great Wave” to Sharaku and Kuniyoshi—Highlights and Where to See Them

Hokusai’s “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” Hiroshige’s “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” Utamaro’s beauties, Sharaku’s actor portraits and Kuniyoshi’s giant skeleton: 12 ukiyo-e masterpieces, with notes on the artists, what to look for, and where to see them in person or as moving images.

Jobs and Team Structure in Projection Mapping: From Producers to Equipment and Installation, Plus HITOHATA, INC.’s Open Positions

Projection mapping and immersive exhibitions involve many roles, from producers and directors to video and 3DCG, equipment, electrical works, operations and publicity. Using the structure in the winner’s materials for a Tokyo pitch event, we outline the main roles and introduce HITOHATA, INC.’s open positions as of November 2026.

Projection Mapping Glossary: 28 Terms from Lumens, Edge Blending and Media Servers to Outdoor Advertising Rules

A glossary of 28 terms that come up in articles, proposals and local government calls for projection mapping and immersive exhibitions, grouped into basics, equipment, production, and operations and regulations, from lumens and throw ratio to edge blending, media servers and flicker standards.

Projection Mapping to See at Christmas 2026 in Japan: Dates and Times for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Osaka City Central Public Hall, Yorunoyo, Hiroshima Castle and Matsumoto Castle

A guide to the projection mapping shows you can see in Japan over Christmas 2026 (December 24–25), with dates, times and admission: Santa Claus at Osaka City Central Public Hall, the daily TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Yorunoyo in Yokohama, the first-ever projection on Hiroshima Castle’s keep, and Matsumoto Castle.

What Is HITOHATA, INC.? Company Profile, Works and Awards of the Studio Behind the Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition and Castle Projection Mapping

HITOHATA, INC. produces the Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition, “City of Water: Edo Outer Moat” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and projection mapping at Tsurugajo and Hiroshima Castle. Based on the company’s official website, we sum up the profile, business, major works, awards and 2026–2027 schedule of this digital creative company founded in Nagoya in 2019.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Projection Mapping “City of Water: Edo Outer Moat”: The Sotobori Purification Project and Its Mid-2030s Water Plan

Since November 2025, TOKYO Night & Light has screened “City of Water: Edo Outer Moat” on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building on weekends and holidays. Based on announcements by Tokyo and HITOHATA, INC., we explain the show, the projection mapping held on the Edo Castle outer moat in 2024 and 2025, and Tokyo’s implementation plan to start bringing water to the moat in the mid-2030s.

Hiroshima Castle Guide 2026: What to See After the Keep Closed, Admission and Hours, the Ninomaru and A-Bomb Sites, and the Winter Wander Projection Mapping

Hiroshima Castle’s keep closed on March 22, 2026, but the reconstructed Ninomaru is open free of charge, and the keep’s exterior and the A-bomb sites in the Honmaru can still be seen. This guide covers the castle’s history, the Hiroshima Castle Sannomaru History Museum opening in June 2027 and the free projection mapping from December 18, based on official information.

How to Photograph Projection Mapping: Smartphone Video and Exposure Tips, Camera Settings, Tripods and Etiquette (Winter 2026–27)

Washed-out highlights and blur are the most common problems when photographing projection mapping. Here are tips for smartphones and cameras, the flash, tripod and burst-shooting etiquette announced by venues such as Tsuruga-jo Castle and Hiroshima Castle this winter, and the dates of events you can shoot.

Osaka City Central Public Hall Guide 2026: History, Highlights and How to Visit the Red-Brick Important Cultural Property, plus December Projection Mapping

Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima is a red-brick Important Cultural Property completed in 1918. This guide covers its history from Iwamoto Einosuke’s donation to the restoration, the free basement exhibition room, Special Room guided tours, opening hours and access, and the free projection mapping from December 11 to 25, based on official information.

Tsuruga-jo Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle) Guide 2026: Japan's Only Red-Tiled Keep, Admission, Opening Hours, the Rinkaku Tea House and November Projection Mapping

Tsuruga-jo Castle in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, has Japan's only keep roofed in red tiles. Admission to the keep museum is ¥410 for adults, and it is open 8:30–17:00 every day. This guide covers its history, floor-by-floor exhibits, the Rinkaku tea house, access and the free projection mapping on November 20–22, based on official information.