In Japan, the foundations of "story picture books", where a single story is told in a single picture book were built in the 1950's. The beginning of this were two series which were both first published in the 1950's, Iwanami Shoten's "Iwanami no kodomo no hon [Iwanami children's books] series" and Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers "monthly picture book magazine Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion]".

From the 1960's to the 1970's, numerous picture book creators who were influenced by these works produced numerous picture books which are still read today, such as "Guri to Gura [Guri and Gura]". In the 1970's in particular, the number of picture books published grew dramatically against the backdrop of high economic growth and the 2nd baby boom, leading to the so-called "picture book boom" as well as a change in the way of thinking on the part of picture book creators. Picture book themes and methods of expression diversified, and more picture book creators emerged who handled both the art and the text, which had been traditionally been done by separate individuals up until then.

This evolution of picture books in the Showa Era can be said to have become the foundation for the rich picture book culture in Japan that followed. In fact, many of the authors of the picture books of the Heisei Era were also at the forefront of picture book creators during the Showa Era, and many more grew up loving the picture books of the Showa Era. The rich individuality of the Heisei Era picture book authors blossoms as an extension and continuation of trends from the Showa Era.

1 Hayashi Akiko (1945-)

While working as an illustrator drawing pictorial cuts for magazines and other publications, she began working on picture books in 1973, involved in pictures for "Kamihikoki [Paper airplane]" (written by Kobayashi Minoru) after being introduced by her coworker at the time picture book creator Gomi Taro (1945-). In addition to vividly illustrating the works of numerous authors, such as "Hajimete no otsukai [Mii-chan's first errand]" (written by Tsutsui Yoriko, published in 1977), she also began to work on creating her own stories, such as in "Kon to Aki [Grandma, please heal Kon's wounds]". She has produced picture books that are much loved by people of all ages with careful research and a diverse range of illustration techniques.

*"Kagaku no tomo [Children's science companion]" November 1973 issue.

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2 Katayama Ken (1940-)

In 1969, he published his first work "Mori no obake [The Wild Things in the Forest]" which he both wrote and illustrated, but he strayed from picture books for a time afterward, and focused mainly on black and white pencil drawings. He resumed working on picture books on the occasion of the birth of his son, and has since incorporated oil and watercolor painting into his work, producing numerous picture books with different artistic styles including strong, vivid styles, and light, warm styles.

*"Kodomo no tomo Nenchu muki [Children's companion For ages 4-5] November 1969 edition

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3 Takeda Miho (1959-)

She made her debut as a picture book creator with "Ashita ensoku [Field trip tomorrow]" in 1987 after studying oil painting at university and working at a library, etc. She has created many humorous works which are very empathetic to children, including her "Masudakun [Masuda] series", using vivid marker colors, and manga-like techniques such as speech bubbles and panel layouts. She is also involved in character design for children's programs and workshops.

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4 Ito Hiroshi (1957-)

His interest in picture books was influenced by his older sister, who was a nursery school teacher, and he began creating picture books while he was a member of a club at university. He has been energetically working on picture books and children's literature for younger readers since his debut as a picture book creator with "Minna ga oshaberi hajimeruzo [Everybody started talking]" which was published in 1987. The worlds of his works are appealing and developed with his unique sense of humor with a focus on topics familiar to children including family, friends, and animals.

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5 Miyanishi Tatsuya (1956-)

He began working on picture books when he illustrated "Aruhi oneechan wa [One day, my older sister...]" (written by Miyanishi Izumi) in 1983. Since then, he has continually published picture books on themes of kindness and compassion, love and justice, and life and death. He uses different styles depending on the content of the picture book he is working on, applying printmaking techniques, drawing thick outlines and using colorful tints to draw horizontally, or using pastels, crayons, or colored pencils to carefully layer short lines. In recent years, he has also carried out story reading events and given lectures both in Japan and overseas.

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6 Abe Hiroshi (1948-)

He worked as a zookeeper at the Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido for 25 years. While working at the zoo, his animal picture diaries were serialized in the town magazine which enabled him to make his debut as a picture book creator. After retiring from the zoo, he continued to travel to Africa, the Arctic, the Guiana Highlands in South America, and other areas to visit the natural habitats of the animals he had contact with at the zoo, while also continuing to create picture books. His works are characterized by lively and vivid drawings influenced by his experiences with various living animals.

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7 Komagata Katsumi (1953-)

After working as a graphic designer in Japan and the U.S., he began working on picture books after the birth of his daughter. He pays particular attention to the color, shape, texture, and other aspects of the paper to produce numerous creative picture books which appeal to the senses of sight and touch as a means of communication with infants. The quality of his designs have led to his earning great acclaim as a bookmaker worldwide, and he also works on design of educational toys, design of spaces for pediatric hospitals, and other projects.

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8 Shingu Susumu (1937-)

After graduating from an art college in Japan, he studied painting at an art school in Rome for six years as an Italian government scholarship student. After returning to Japan, he distanced himself from painting and worked on numerous sculptures which are animated by air and water. He has held private exhibitions and art projects all over the world, and has earned great praise as "the wind sculptor". Starting with his first picture book "Ichigo [Strawberries]" (published in 1975), which presents a single strawberry as the universe, he has published works which make readers think about nature and the environment through the beauty of living creatures and the earth throughout the seasons.

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9 Suzuki Koji (1948-)

He continually taught himself to draw since a young age, and greatly expanded his activities in the world of picture books after meeting the art director Horiuchi Seiichi (1932-1987). Suzuki's art is characterized by vivid colors, and his works are created from innovative ideas and dynamic, but precise touch, and have a strong impact on those viewing the works. He engages in a wide range of creative activities, and also holds live painting events and workshops.

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In the 1990's, a movement began which sought to explore the potential for a wider range of expression in picture books. Under a new concept of picture books that not only focused on their pictorial and literary aspects, but also treated them as media and visual art forms which can be expressed via a wide range of methods and techniques, a variety of new experiments and approaches to picture books were made. As a result, many graphic designers, printmakers, modelers, moderns artists, and other well-known artists who were already active in other fields began to produce large numbers of picture books as a new space for artistic expression. These artists from other fields, including graphic designer Komagata Katsumi, and the sculptor Shingu Susumu, gradually became an ever greater presence in the world of picture book creators.

The picture books by these artists feature a rich selection of experimental elements and variation. These included works created as three-dimensional spaces, like pop-up books, and works where every detail of the picture books, including the binding of the books themselves, were carefully designed, all to provoke the curiosity and imaginations of readers. In response to this expansion of their artistic expression, in recent years there has also been a trend to explore picture books themselves as an art form.

During the Heisei Era, there were also creators who made attempts to expand beyond the conventional frameworks of picture books through a variety of endeavors including live painting, production of animations, and more.

For example, Suzuki Koji actively holds exhibitions of his artwork, including original illustrations for picture books. The creative act itself is also gaining attention, such as through live painting events where the artist creates a picture while showing the creative process. Other picture book creators also came to hold events where they would improvise drawings in response to prompts from participants, or complete works while singing songs.

There are also picture book creators like Arai Ryoji and Miroko Machiko who hold periodic workshops aimed at children and otherwise actively engage with children. There are also examples of picture book creators who have worked as art directors or art staff for children's television programs. Picture book artists are also active in a wide variety of other fields in addition to those listed above, including illustration, book illustration, advertising, stage design, and more.