He Drew 25,000 "Japanese-Style Illustrations" Alone... Irastoya Founder Takashi Mihune [Japan Insight]

Used in SNS Posts and Government Posters
Up to 20 Free Illustrations... Essentially a Free Distribution Platform
Site Launched After the Great East Japan Earthquake, 9 Years of Uploads
Various Collaborations with Comics and Brands

Illustration of people greeting each other. Ilustoya.

You have probably seen illustrations with this kind of vibe before. They frequently appear in Japanese social networking service (SNS) posts, posters, and even government office notices. These days, it seems they can often be found in South Korea as well.

These illustrations are not created and shared by random netizens. Instead, a single artist draws them and uploads them to the online site "Irastoya." Reportedly, there are over 25,000 illustrations available on the site. Today, we share the story of Takashi Mihune, the founder of the national illustration site "Irastoya."

A Boy Who Loved to Draw... Becomes a Faceless Artist

Illustration representing Takashi Mifune introduced by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan. Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Takashi Mihune does not disclose his age or his face, except for his real name and the fact that he is male. He always draws an illustration symbolizing himself to replace photographs. Even in materials from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, instead of a photo, there is an illustration modeled after himself, drawing at a computer. When he received the Illustrator of the Year award, the ceremony was broadcast live on YouTube, but he did not attend in person and instead sent an illustration to be shown on screen. As a result, there are many questions on Japanese search engines such as "Takashi Mihune face," "What does Takashi Mihune look like?" and "How old is Takashi Mihune?"

Illustration by Mr. Mihune featured at the 2023 Design Science Foundation Awards Ceremony. Design Science Foundation.

However, he has shared details about his upbringing in interviews. He says that as a child, he would spend all his free time drawing. When friends asked him to draw popular comic characters, he would do so, and in middle school, he began painting watercolors and oil paintings as a hobby at home. He was active in the art club in high school, but considered drawing just a hobby and did not plan to attend art school. However, a teacher noticed his talent and encouraged him, saying, "You seem to be good at drawing, so keep working hard." This support led him to pursue art professionally.

He later got a job as a designer and worked at a company for about a year, but felt it was not a good fit and quit. Since drawing was something he could still do after leaving, he continued to draw and uploaded his work to his own website. Soon, he began receiving illustration commissions from outside clients, and after completing a few of these jobs, he naturally became an illustrator.

Irastoya Was Born After the Great East Japan Earthquake... And Shined During the Pandemic

Irastoya site. You can search for illustrations in various categories. Irastoya.

The impetus for creating the Irastoya site was the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. At the time, he was building his career as an illustrator, but when faced with such a major disaster, he could not think of anything he could do to help. Overcome by a sense of helplessness, he decided he wanted to help people through his work, and in 2012, he created a site where people could freely use various illustrations he uploaded.

For this reason, Irastoya has a rule that allows up to 20 illustrations to be used for free in a single post. If you exceed 20, you must negotiate individually with the artist to determine a fee. Even companies can use the images for commercial purposes for free, as long as they do not exceed 20 illustrations per post. Since it is rare to use more than 20 illustrations in a single post, the site essentially functions as a free image distribution platform.

Mihune regularly uploaded illustrations in a variety of categories, including daily life, seasons, and animals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he continuously created medical-related illustrations so that government offices and hospitals could use them freely. In an interview with the Agency for Cultural Affairs, he said, "I don't know what the right answer is, but just as I resolved during the earthquake, I thought that having these kinds of illustrations would surely help many people, so I drew them."

Illustrations that appear when searching for 'corona' on Irastoya. There are uploads of illustrations such as test kits, people making online reservations for vaccination, and people worried about vaccines. Irastoya.

After steadily uploading illustrations for nine years, in 2021 he announced, "I think the illustrations uploaded to Irastoya are sufficient, so I will stop updating." By then, he had created over 25,000 illustrations. Now, he uploads illustrations irregularly and instead focuses on messenger emojis and collaborations with companies. Netizens have speculated that his monthly income from site advertising, emoji sales, and merchandise sales alone exceeds 1 million yen (926,000 won). Of course, no official figures have been disclosed.

Nevertheless, he has risen to the status of a national illustrator, sweeping awards every year. He received the Digital Archive Society's Practice Award in 2019, the Excellence Award for Content of the Year from the Digital Media Association in 2021, the Leading Character of the Year Award from the Design Science Foundation in 2023, and the Minister's Award at the Livestock Hygiene Poster Contest hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2024.

The person who received the trophy is Irastoya.

Interesting Facts Hidden in Irastoya

Ilastoya's mascot, Poko. Ilastoya.

Here are a few interesting facts about Irastoya that may not be well known in South Korea. First, Irastoya has a mascot. It is "Poko the Black Rabbit." Poko lost its way on the full moon and came down to Earth, and is characterized by its dazed expression and drooling mouth.

There are also many illustrations on Irastoya that make you think, "Did they really draw this, too?" Examples include "an illustration of a person getting hit in the face after dropping their smartphone," "an illustration expressing the uncanny valley," "an illustration of a housewife holding an air gun to protect crops," and "an illustration of chuunibyo (eighth-grader syndrome)." The site features a wide variety of characters, including the elderly, children, white people, Black people, and Asians, in the spirit of diversity. There are also illustrations depicting highland women, Muslim couples in traditional attire, and same-sex couples.

Illustration of a person who got hit in the face after losing grip while using a smartphone. Created by Irasutoya.

There are also illustrations created in collaboration with famous animations. For example, Irastoya has collaborated with comics such as "One Piece" and "Tokyo Revengers," drawing all the familiar characters in the site's signature style. In addition, Irastoya has worked with various companies, including Uniqlo and the convenience store chain Lawson.

Chopper, a character from the comic "One Piece" depicted by Irastoya. Irastoya.

Ultimately, it seems that what enabled him to become a national illustrator was his desire to help others. During difficult times for everyone, the time he spent thinking about how to have a positive impact on others from his own position seems to have truly paid off.