Any concept artist in Tokyo??

[Asahi-SD-]

Hi everyone ,
I'm new to CA , excuse me if the post is not at the appropriate place !!

Ok , I'm living in Tokyo for few years now , and i've been doing graphic design there , i recently quit the company i was working for to learn by myself concept art , illustration !

My question is , are there professionnal concept artist actually living and working in Tokyo , to get some "tips" not really tips but just how you guys have suceed to work there and if the japanese market is open to foreigners in this domain , mean does a japanese buisness level is required for example? what are the company interested etc...

I don't actually feel i can do this job , not with my actual level anyway (that's why i keep on studying harder every day) , but if i can make any contact there ( if located in Tokyo and interested to meet i pay the beer ^^ ) well any information on the market/work here would be much appreciate , as i know nothing about it !!
I just find out concept art recently ( well i knew it but never pay attention to it , not like now) and like i said ,any , even small , advice , contact, whatever would be really appreciate !!

Thanks !!

[Zaxser]

Concept Art is a ridiculously competitive field as it is. Gai Jin in Japan do not do that well. To put it in perspective, Nintendo, one of the largest and well known Japanese game companies, has only hired one foreign concept artist in their history. That was Andrew Jones. I know there are a few (mostly french) illustrators who do okay in Japan, and maybe some more scraping by on doujinshi and such.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but this path just makes it more difficult for yourself on a road that isn't easy to begin with.

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

[Asahi-SD-]

I'm not saying it's impossible, but this path just makes it more difficult for yourself on a road that isn't easy to begin with.


Thank you for you fast reply ^^ !! well i know that won't be easy , mostly in Japan , but i'm here so ... have to deal with it !!

I was more wondering about companies like Capcom ( with titles likes monster hunter for example ) or even other companies producing more mature game ninja gaiden , Tenchu these kind of games ...

Anyway thanks ^^


(do you know the french guys you were talking about , i'm also french , i could manage to reach them somehow thanks a lot !! )

[Riiroi]

Yes... you hardly find foreign concept artists in Japan.

The only other foreign artist i know who worked in Japan was Christian Lorenz Scheurer. He got hired by Hironobu Sakaguchi's (Creator of Final Fantasy) Mistwalker as a Visual Consultant, so i'm not sure if that counts.

As for French Illustrators in Japan, well... can't think of any but I do know that Gez Fry is able to speak French, so yea.

[Zaxser]

As for French Illustrators in Japan, well... can't think of any but I do know that Gez Fry is able to speak French, so yea.

It's important to note that Gez caters to companies in the UK and US. He just really likes his (Japanese) wife.

If your just looking for names and art, this thread (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99627) is good, but don't expect anyone to provide you with contact information.