Staff Introduction

Committee members (Advisor)

Ryusuke Itoh(Image Writer & Assistant Professor, Hokkaido University of Education)
Ryusuke Ito was born in Sapporo in 1963. Also known as Kenji Murasame, he started writing reviews on animation and manga, and also edited manga magazines when he was a student of Tokyo Zokei University. He received a Masters Degree at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. As a video artist of artistic films, Ryusuke Ito has been nominated, and has won many international and domestic awards for his "Plate" series as well as other series. He dedicates himself to the promotion of independent films in Sapporo.
Shunji Suzuki(TV and Radio Program Scenario Writer)
Shunji Suzuki is a member of Pajama-to, a group of supporting professionals who work for Kinichi Hagimoto, a famous Japanese comedian. He wrote scenarios for a lot of Mr. Hagimoto's comedy shows including "Kin-don", a legendary comedy program, and "Kinchan-no-Kaso-Taisho", a famous masquerade contest. He also writes novels based on TV drama series, and writes for films.
Koji Morimoto(Animation Film Director)
Koji Morimoto was born in Wakayama in 1959. After graduating from Osaka Designers' College, he started his career as an animator at MADHOUSE Ltd. where he made his first original drawings for "Ashita-no Joe". He was one of the creators who made "AKIRA" and "Lensman". He directed his first film "Franken's Gears" and now has been working more as a director than as an animator. He is currently a member of Studio 4℃ and keeps producing great works such as "THE ANIMATRIX" and a PV for Hikaru Utada.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Producer, Game Creator)
Tetsuya Mizuguchi was born in Hokkaido in 1965. Among his games, the most well recognized are "Space Channel 5", "Rez", "Lumines", and "Ninety-nine nights(N3)". In 2006, he was chosen by the Producer Guild of America(PGA) as one of the 50 most innovate producers in the field of Digital Entertainment. He is a lecturer at Nihon University College of Arts and a guest professor at Kanazawa Institute of Technology.
Michael Arias(CG artist)
In 1987, he worked for Dream Quest Images as SFX artist and was involved in the productions of Hollywood movies. Since then, he has been working with many Hollywood directors as SFX/CG artist. He developed motion programs for attractions of Universal Studios. He also developed CG for "Toon Shaders" (SOFTIMAGE). He was involved in the production of a Hayao Miyazaki's film, "Princess Mononoke", and produced "ANIMATRIX". He debuted as a director with "Tekkon Kinkreet" which is to be premiered in December 2006.
Wilson Tang (Artist+SystemR&D)
From 2000 to 2006, Wilson worked at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) , and was involved in many production including "A.I.:Artificial Intelligence", "The Hulk", and "Poseidon". He created a property called "Little Terra" for NTT DoCoMo in Japan. He has immersed himself into the less tangible world of film, commercial direction, and computer graphics. He has been building on a successful carrier in Architechture, and keeps expanding his fields as a uniquely-positioned creator for THE NEXT WAVE OF DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT. He is currently the Senior Art Director at Electornic Arts Worldwide Studios where he is spearheading the creation of the next generation of video games.
Sumito Mochizuki(CG Artist, Professor at Sapporo School of the Arts)
Sumito Mochizuki was born in Shizuoka in 1949. He received a Bachelors Degree in Design at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He became a free-lance designer/puppet artist in 1974, and made properties for a famous kids TV program "Hirake Ponkikki". He was the Art Director for International Film &TV Festival of NY(Silver Prize). In 1996, he took his current position at Sapporo School of the Arts. He is a member of Digital Image, a CG Artists group, and presents his works at two or more exhibitions a year.
Hiroaki　Takeuchi (Animation or Game producer/ An associate Professor at Graduate Schools of Keio University)
After graduating from Keio University, Hiroaki Takeuchi started working for YOUNG JUMP, a weekly manga magazine, as a free-lance producer. In 1984, he established Think Corporation where he produced digital anime and comic books. In 1988, he established CoMix Wave Inc. and produced a variety of original anime including Makoto Shinkai's "The voices of distant star". In 2002, he became famous as a producer of "THE ANIMATRIX" which was an international smash hit. He now works in Tokyo and Hollywood, and is engaged in several anime projects.
Steve　Baker (Creative business consultant)
Steve Baker was born in England in 1956. He has worked with creative artists, such as Colin Vearncombe and John Warwicker, as a producer/manager. In 1991, Steve, Colin and John co-founded the company that became Tomato where he worked as the Managing Director until he moved to Japan in 2003. He now acts as a creative business consultant, lecturer and writer.
Kenta Hiramoto (Associate Professor at Graduate School of Hokkaido University)
Kenta Hiramoto was born in Niigata in 1964. He was an Associate Professor of the Economics Department at Shiga University and at Hokkaido University before taking his current position. His research fields include Management Strategy, Strategy and Structure of Japanese Companies, Strategic M&A, Innovation Strategy for Local Businesses, and Application of Information Systems and Competitive Advantages.

Chief Advisor

Takenobu Igarashi(Sculptor)
Born in Takikawa City, Hokkaido in 1944. B.A. from Tama University of Fine Arts, Tokyo in 1968 and M.A. from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), College of Fine Arts in 1969. Worked as a instructor from 1975 to 1976. After working as a graphic/product designer, became a sculptor in 1994. His acclaimed work includes a calendar for the Museum of Modern Art, New York, logos for Suntory and Tama Art University, and YMD and OUN products, as well as a series of sculptures and graphics using letters of the alphabet as motifs. His latest works are "Woven Nest" Wooden Screen Wall (CHA Medical Clinic, Los Angeles, CA), "Bouquet-A", "Bouquet-B", Hanging Courtyard Sculptures (Kyushu Hospital, Kita Kyushu, Japan), "Horizontal Feeling" Hardwood (NISSEI EBLO INC., Tokyo, Japan), logo of the Sapporo JR Tower, Big Clock of Stars at the Sapporo JR Station, and Landscape of the Sapporo JR Tower and many other works. Living in Los Angeles. Guest professor at Tama Art University.

Chief coordinator

Toshiya Kubo(Media Producer)
Born in Otaru in 1957. Media producer. Representative of Maverick Creative Works. After graduating from the Department of Broadcasting, Faculty of Arts, Nihon University, worked for an advertising agency, a game company, and a CG production. Became independent in April 1998. Executive committee member/producer of the American Short Shorts Film Festival. Specialist in marketing, computers, and entertainment. Engaged in character licensing business as part of the Little Terra Project. Agent/personal manager for Wilson Tang (ILM), the creator of Little Terra.