Nizō Yamamoto: Art for Animation (preorder)

About Nizō Yamamoto: Art for Animation

As the first English-language book dedicated to Nizō Yamamoto’s art, this volume brings together background paintings, image boards, and rare production materials. It traces the development of his visual language and reveals how his extraordinary command of light, atmosphere, and space transformed background art into one of the central expressive forces of Japanese animation.

The book features background art and production materials from (among others): Future Boy Conan, Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Weathering With You. It also includes a glossary, selected filmography, and bibliography.

About Nizō Yamamoto

Nizō Yamamoto (1953–2023) was one of the defining art directors in Japanese animation and a pioneering figure in the development of anime background art. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he shaped the visual worlds of some of the medium’s most celebrated works, collaborating with directors such as Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, and Mamoru Hosoda. In Japan, his achievements have long been held in the highest regard, yet internationally his name remains far less familiar than the landmark projects he helped to create.

Technical details

• Includes a gatefold (160 cm) featuring a 1:1 reproduction of background art from Princess Mononoke
• Text in English
• Landscape format (24 × 28 cm)
• 182 pages
• Hardcover with yellow cloth spine and printed cover boards

Practical information

• PREORDER - Shipping scheduled for late November/early December 2026
• Carefully packaged in reinforced box