This is a list of women artists who were born in Japan or whose artworks are closely associated with that country.

A

Chako Abeno is a female Japanese illustrator and manga artist. She publishes dōjinshi with the circle . She is also involved in the artwork of adult games. Works Manga * (2002, Kadokawa Shoten), Illustrator * (2003, Kadokawa Shoten) * (2006, Kadokawa ...

, manga artist * Fuku Akino (1908–2001), painter *

Akira Amano is a Japanese mangaka known for the '' shōnen'' series ''Reborn!''. Early versions of ''Reborn!'' were published in ''seinen'' manga magazines. In late 2003, the series, a stand-alone short story at the time, was published in the ''Weekly Sh ...

(born 1973), manga artist *

Kozue Amano is a Japanese manga artist. She is widely known as the creator of ''Aria'', which proved to be a best-selling hit, and was adapted into an anime television series consisting of 3 seasons and 2 OVAs. As of autumn 2010, Amano's work releases ha ...

(born 1974), manga artist * Yasuko Aoike (born 1948), manga artist *

Kotomi Aoki is a Japanese manga artist residing in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. She received the 2008 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga for ''Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu''. Kotomi took her 2013 Manga, "The Liar and His Lover" and ...

(born 1980), manga artist *

Ume Aoki is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist, illustrator and dōjin artist from Hyōgo Prefecture. She officially romanizes her name as aokiume. She illustrates under the pennames apricot+ for many of her dōjinshi, and for the visual novel ''Sanarar ...

, manga artist *

Chiho Aoshima is a Japanese pop artist and member of Takashi Murakami's Kaikai Kiki Collective. Aoshima graduated from the Department of Economics, Hosei University, Tokyo. She held a residency at Art Pace, San Antonio, United States in 2006. Personal life ...

(born 1974), pop artist *

Hina Aoyama is a Japanese paper-cutting artist and illustrator born on December 27, 1970, in Yokohama, Japan. She has been creating super fine lacy-paper-cuttings since 2000. She currently lives and works in Ferney-Voltaire, France. Art style Hina Aoyam ...

(born 1970), paper-cutting artist, illustrator * Kiyoko Arai, manga artist *

Hiromu Arakawa is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for the manga series '' Fullmetal Alchemist'' (2001–2010), which became a hit both domestically and internationally, and was adapted into two anime television series. She is also known for '' Silv ...

(born 1973), manga artist *

Sakura Asagi is a Japanese animator, illustrator, and manga artist. She contributed her character design for the series ''Shōnen Onmyōji'' and ''Saint Beast''. Apart from illustrating for the novel series ''Shōnen Onmyōji'', she also authors the manga, w ...

, illustrator, manga artist * Yū Asagiri, manga artist *

George Asakura is a Japanese manga artist. She took her pen name from one of the title characters in ''Gatchaman'' and made her debut in 1995 with ''Punky Cake Junkie'', which was published in the magazine ''Bessatsu Friend DX Juliet''. She is best known for ' ...

(born 1974), manga artist * Hinako Ashihara, manga artist * Izumi Aso (born 1960), manga artist

B

* Ippongi Bang (born 1965), multimedia and manga artist

C

Toriko Chiya is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known for ''Clover'' as well as '' Tokyo Alice''. Works * (1990, '' Bouquet'', Shueisha, 1 volume) * (1991, ''Bouquet'', Shueisha, 2 volumes) * ''Miracle''(1992–1993, ''Bouquet'', Shueisha, 4 volumes) ...

, manga artist * Junko Chodos (born 1939), mixed media artist, now in the United States *

Nanae Chrono Nanae Chrono, known in Japan as is a female Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the creator of the manga series ''Peacemaker Kurogane'', ''Senki Senki Momotama'', and ''Vassalord''. Works Serials *; (1999) :This was a oneshot manga or ...

(born 1980), manga artist * Clamp, manga artists

E

Eiki Eiki is a Japanese manga artist who has been creating manga since 1998. Most of her manga are written under the yaoi and yuri genre. Biography She is the grandchild of former Prime minister of Japan Noboru Takeshita and the older sister of rock si ...

(born 1971), manga artist * Kinuko Emi (1923–2015), painter * Nariko Enomoto (born 1967), manga artist

F

* Chie Fueki (born 1973), Japanese-American painter * Mihona Fujii (born 1974), manga artist *

Kazuko Fujita (born 18 March 1957 in Niigata, Japan) is a Japanese '' shōjo'' manga artist. She made her professional debut in 1977 in ''Bessatsu Shōjo Comic'' and she has written manga mainly for ''Flower Comics''. She is best known for '' Makoto Call!'' ...

(born 1957), manga artist * Cocoa Fujiwara (1983–2015), manga artist * Hiro Fujiwara (born 1981), manga artist * Keiko Fukazawa (born 1955), ceramicist and sculptor *

Ikuyo Fujita is a Japanese artist who works primarily in needle felt painting and mogol (pipe cleaner) art. She is known for rabbit and cat art. Her kawaii style needle felt paintings are popular among rabbit lovers in Japan. Life and career Fujita ...

(birth year unknown), needle felt artist

H

* Moto Hagio (born 1949), manga artist * Akiko Hatsu (born 1959), manga artist * Nanae Haruno, manga artist * Bisco Hatori (born 1975), manga artist * Akiko Higashimura (born 1975), manga artist *

Tatsu Hirota was a Japanese painter. Tatsu Hirota was born in Kyoto, Japan, where she lived until her death in 1990. Hirota is best known for her paintings of ''jinbutsu'' (figure painting). She is widely noted for her paintings of nudes and maiko girls. E ...

(1904–1990), painter * Fumiko Hori (1918–2019),

Nihonga ''Nihonga'' (, "Japanese-style paintings") are Japanese paintings from about 1900 onwards that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. While based on traditions over a thousand years ...

painter * Kayoko Hoshino (born 1949), ceramicist

I

* Megumi Igarashi (born 1972), sculptor, manga artist * Ike Gyokuran (1727–1784), painter, calligrapher, poet *

Leiko Ikemura is a Japanese-Swiss painter and sculptor. Biography Leiko Ikemura studied at Osaka University from 1970–1972. She then left Japan to study in Spain from 1973 to 1978 at the Academia de Bellas Artes in Granada and Seville. In 1979, Ikemura ...

(born 1951), Japanese-Swiss painter, sculptor * Tari Ito (born 1951), performance artist

K

* Shirley Kaneda (born 1951), artist, educator, writer, based in New York *

Tamako Kataoka (5 January 1905 in Sapporo – 16 January 2008) was a Japanese ''Nihonga'' painter. She is known for her series of Mount Fuji and other mountains, painted in bold colours such as red. Biography Tamako Kataoka was born in Sapporo, Japan in 1 ...

(1905–2008), Nihonga painter * Mari Katayama (born 1987), multimedia artist * Kitamura Junko (born 1956), ceramist * Chigusa Kitani (1895–1947), painter and painting teacher * Yuko Takada Keller (born 1958), artist, curator, writer, based in Denmark * Asami Kiyokawa (born 1980), embroidery artist * Rieko Kodama (born 1963), video game designer, artist * Nahoko Kojima (born 1981), paper cut artist * Shigeko Kubota (1937–2015), video artist, sculptor * Yayoi Kusama (born 1929), multidisciplinary artist, writer

M

* Keiko Masumoto, contemporary ceramist * Migishi Setsuko (1905–1999), painter and illustrator * Keiko Minami (1911–2004), painter, engraver, poet * Kimiyo Mishima (born 1932), ceramic artist * Samizu Matsuki (1936–2018)), painter, educator * Mariko Mori (born 1967), contemporary artist *

Mokona is the pen name of the lead artist, colorist, and composition designer of the all-female manga-creating team Clamp. She was formerly known as ; she dropped her last name because it sounded too "immature". Clamp has had a huge impact on the "man ...

(born 1968), manga artist *

Mitsukazu Mihara is a Japanese illustrator who helped to influence the Gothic Lolita look through her illustrations, particularly as the cover illustrator for the first eight volumes of the ''Gothic & Lolita Bible''. In 1994, she won a contest in the Japanese mang ...

(born 1970), illustrator, manga artist and writer * Fuyuko Matsui (born 1974),

painter * Aiko Miyanaga (born 1974), sculptor *

Junko Mori (born 1974) is a Japanese artist based in Wales. Working primarily in metalwork sculpture, Mori’s works are aggregate pieces usually connected thematically and visually to her observations of living matter, particularly plants. Her cho ...

(born 1974), sculptor

N

* Tsubaki Nekoi (born 1969), manga artist * Minako Nishiyama (born 1965), contemporary artist *

Betty Nobue Kano Betty Nobue Kano (born in 1944) is a Japanese painter, curator and lecturer at San Francisco State University and New College of California, teaching the 332 Japanese American Art and Literature class. She is notable for exhibiting her work in nea ...

(born 1944), painter, now in the United States

O

Nanase Ohkawa is a member of the all-female manga-creating team CLAMP. She is the director of the team and is primarily responsible for writing the stories and scripts for CLAMP's various works. As part of CLAMP's 15th Anniversary, each of the four members ...

(born 1967), manga artist *

Katsushika Ōi Katsushika Ōi (, – ), also known as or Ei-jo, was a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist of the early 19th century Edo period. She was a daughter of Hokusai from his second wife. Ōi was an accomplished painter who also worked as a production assistant ...

(1800–1866),

Ukiyo-e Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk t ...

artist *

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

(born 1933), multimedia artist, singer, peace activist * Emi Ozawa (born 1962), contemporary artist

P

* Junco Sato Pollack (active since 1970s), textile artist, based in the United States

R

* Yamashita Rin (1857–1939), icon painter

S

* Shima Seien (1892–1970),

nihonga ''Nihonga'' (, "Japanese-style paintings") are Japanese paintings from about 1900 onwards that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. While based on traditions over a thousand years ...

artist *

Yoshiko Shimada is a Japanese printmaker and performance artist who has been referred to as "Japan’s premier feminist and antiwar artist." Shimada has been exploring issues of gender, power, history, and nation in her artwork since the late 1980s, situating ...

(born 1959), video artist, feminist * Toko Shinoda (1913–2021), painter, calligrapher * Michiko Suganuma (born 1940), Urushi lacquer artist

T

* Tomiyama Taeko (1921–2021), painter * Tomoko Takahashi (born 1966), installation artist, based in London *

Mitsuba Takanashi is a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 1992 at the age of 17 in ''Bessatsu Margaret'' with "Koi nante nai." List of works * (1997, Shueisha) * (1998, Shueisha) * (1999, Shueisha); English translation: ''The Devil Does Exist'' (200 ...

(active since late 1990s), manga artist * Aya Takano (born 1976), manga artist, writer * Chieko Takamura (1886–1938), oil painter, paper cutter * Kiyohara Tama (1861–1939), painter, based in Italy *

Tsuneko Taniuchi Tsuneko Taniuchi (谷内恒子 Taniuchi Tsuneko), born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan, in 1946, is a contemporary artist, who uses performance as her main medium. Her practice, which oscillates between scripted situations and participatory works ...

, contemporary performance artist * Atsuko Tanaka (1932–2005), avant-garde artist *

Yoko Tawada Yōko Tawada (多和田葉子 ''Tawada Yōko'', born March 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer currently living in Berlin, Germany. She writes in both Japanese and German. Tawada has won numerous literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tan ...

(born 1960), writer, now in Germany *

Kea Tawana Kea Tawana (c. 1935 – August 4, 2016) was an American artist known for creating the ''Ark'', an 86-foot-long, three-story high ship she built in Newark, New Jersey, starting in 1982. For decades she had collected salvaged wood, stained glass, and ...

(c. 1935–2016), sculptor, active in the United States * Yoko Terauchi (born 1954), sculptor * Naoko Tosa (born 1961), artist

U

* Shōen Uemura (1875–1949), painter * Hana Usui (born 1973), visual artist, now in Europe

W

Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada (born August 2, 1944) is a Japanese textile artist, curator, art historian, scholar, professor, and author. She has received international recognition for her scholarship and expertise in the field of textile art. In 2010, sh ...

(born 1944), textile artist

Y

* Hisae Yanase (1943–2019), ceramist * Matsuda Yuriko (born 1943), ceramist {{Lists of women artists by nationality -

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the ...

Artists, women