From Japan to the World —
A Flight of Traditional Beauty
Studio ONI is dedicated to creation by human hands.
We produce hand-drawn traditional Japanese ink painting animation and art.
By weaving the beauty of Japanese tradition with a contemporary approach, we carry its cultural light forward into the future.
Studio Updates
March 06, 2026
We have released a completed animation with background from Scene 8 Cut 2 of our original hand drawn ink painting animation “Operation ONI”! New
February 1, 2026
We have produced the Japanese traditional ink painting animation “The Tale of Azai Nagamasa and His Family” as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama “Toyotomi Brothers! (BROTHERS IN ARMS)”.
October 24, 2025
Studio ONI presented a Japanese ink painting art exhibition at Kyoto Takashimaya.
The Tale of Azai Nagamasa and His Family
Studio ONI has produced a hand-drawn Japanese ink painting animation titled
“The Tale of Azai Nagamasa and His Family”
as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama Toyotomi Brothers (BROTHERS IN ARMS).
From February 1, 2026, the film is now on permanent public display at the mini theater of “Gi to Kizuna-kan (Hall of Loyalty and Bonds),” a newly opened cultural facility in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
NHK Taiga Dramas are long-running historical television series produced by Japan’s national public broadcaster, NHK, and are regarded as one of the most influential forms of historical storytelling in Japanese popular culture.
This work focuses on Azai Nagamasa, a Sengoku-period warlord of 16th-century Japan, his wife Oichi (sister of the famous warlord Oda Nobunaga), and their three daughters, who later became key historical figures through marriage into powerful ruling families.
Nagahama City is the region where the Azai clan lived, fought, and built their legacy, making it a place deeply connected to their history.
It is a great honor for us to contribute an official work connected to such a historic television series and to present it in the very land where these historical figures once lived and loved.
If you have the opportunity to visit Japan, we warmly invite you to experience the film in Nagahama.
Creative Director
Hiroshi Takane (Studio ONI)
Key Animation / Background Art / Ink Painting Art Director
Sho Hosokawa (Studio ONI)
Storyboard
Kinosuke Rakuga (Studio ONI)
Narration
Risa Imayanagi (Yurin Pro)
Music
Sorasido (Sayaka Asaoka)
Sumochi
harryfaoki
Alpha
Ink, Brushes and Inkstone
Rimpamura
“Himitsu (Secret)” performed by HIPPY
Honored to have created a hand-drawn Japanese ink and watercolor animation music video in collaboration with Graphinica, blending traditional techniques with animation.
Introduction to Our Divisions
Animation Division
Studio ONI specializes in animations that blend digital and analog hand-drawn ink wash painting techniques to create a traditional Japanese aesthetic. Our unique style is showcased in projects like the feature-length animated film Operation ONI, as well as short animations for commercials, music videos and corporate promotional videos.
We are dedicated to hand-drawn animation and do not use any generative AI.
Art Division
At Studio ONI’s Art Division, we offer a diverse range of artistic services, including traditional ink wash and watercolor paintings, sophisticated ink-brush portraits, hybrid digital and analog art, website and app design. We also produce live drawing events.
We received the Visual Impression Award at the “JAPAN Kyoto Trade Exhibition 2025” held in Dubai. Later that same year, we exhibited and sold our sumi-e artworks at Kyoto Takashimaya S.C., one of Japan’s most historic and prestigious department stores.
We are dedicated to hand-drawn art and do not use any generative AI.
Vtuber Division
Vtubers carry the potential to become a new tradition in Japan. At Studio ONI, we create original traditional Japanese ink painting style models and offer a wide range of high-quality services, from character design to modeling, with flexible plans to meet diverse needs.
We are dedicated to hand-drawn design and do not use any generative AI.
| Company Name: | Studio ONI Ltd. |
| Capital: | ¥3,000,000 |
| History: | Established in July 2004 Rebranded as Studio ONI in April 2024 |
| Address: | 2-30-5-502 Minamino, Tama, Tokyo, Japan |
| Major Clients / Partners: |
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| Correspondent Bank: | Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Shibuya Ekimae Branch |
| Qualified Invoice Issuer Number: | T4-0104-0202-8130 |
Hiroshi Takane
CEO, Founder, Creative Director, Executive Producer, Director and Scriptwriter
Hiroshi Takane is a Tokyo-born creative director, producer, and scriptwriter with over 20 years of experience in creative storytelling, advertising, and art direction. As the founder and CEO of Studio ONI Ltd., he leads projects that blend Japanese traditional ink painting aesthetics with modern hand-drawn animation.
He has created advertising and branded content for clients such as NHK, LEXUS, SONY, DeNA, Wacoal, BABYMETAL, and Granblue Fantasy, developing story concepts, scripts, worldbuilding, and narrative-driven promotional experiences across these campaigns. He also served as Associate Producer for the hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video “Himitsu,” produced in collaboration with Graphinica, as well as for the Kyoto Takashimaya S.C. ink painting art exhibition.
Most recently, Takane served as Creative Director for “The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family,” a hand-drawn animation series created in the style of Japanese traditional ink painting as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama “Toyotomi Brothers! (BROTHERS IN ARMS).” The work is permanently exhibited at the Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown “Gito Kizuna-kan” in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Takane also wrote scripts for acclaimed video games including 428: Shibuya Scramble and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series.
He is a certified lifetime member of Creators HQ, an international creative network based in Dubai.
Sho Hosokawa
Vice President, Executive Producer, Key Animation Artist, Background Artist, and Art Director
Sho Hosokawa is a Kyoto-based artist specializing in Japanese traditional ink painting. Self-taught since childhood, he has pursued the essence of beauty by studying masterpieces from both Eastern and Western art traditions.
His YouTube art channel, Turara-an, has gained over 50,000 followers worldwide, attracting a global audience interested in traditional ink expression and contemporary visual storytelling. In 2025, he received the Visual Impression Award at the JAPAN Kyoto Trade Exhibition held in Dubai, and his works were also exhibited at Kyoto Takashimaya S.C.
Hosokawa served as Original Artist, Background Artist, and Art Director for the hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video “Himitsu,” produced in collaboration with Graphinica.
Most recently, he worked as Original Artist, Background Artist, and Japanese traditional ink painting Art Director for “The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family,” a hand-drawn animation series created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama “Toyotomi Brothers! (BROTHERS IN ARMS).” The work is permanently exhibited at the Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown “Gito Kizuna-kan” in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Hosokawa is also a certified lifetime member of Creators HQ, an international network of creative professionals in the global film and media industry based in Dubai.
Kinosuke Rakuga
Vice President, Producer, Supervising Animation Director, Action Director, Storyboard Artist, Lead Animator, Character Designer, and Vice Director
Kinosuke Rakuga is the Vice President, Producer, Lead Animator, and Supervising Animation Director at Studio ONI Ltd. She is currently working on the ink-brush animated film Operation ONI. Known for her strong sense of responsibility and deep passion for animation, Kinosuke leads a global team with outstanding leadership skills, bringing warmth and energy to every project she oversees.
She served as Supervising Animation Director and Lead Animator for the hand-drawn Japanese traditional ink painting and watercolor animation music video “Himitsu,” produced in collaboration with Graphinica. Her work blends traditional Japanese digital brush techniques with dynamic action, creating animation that is both graceful and powerfully alive. This distinctive style has earned her recognition in Japan and internationally.
Most recently, Kinosuke served as Storyboard Artist for “The Tale of Nagamasa Azai and His Family,” a hand-drawn animation series created as a satellite exhibition work for the NHK Taiga Drama “Toyotomi Brothers! (BROTHERS IN ARMS).” The work is permanently exhibited at the Azai Three Sisters’ Hometown “Gito Kizuna-kan” in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Company Overview
Partnership & Integration
In March 2025, Studio ONI Ltd. formed a partnership and integration with the Dubai-based production company Seahorse Agency.
Seahorse Agency is a globally active creative company specializing in art and design. Under the leadership of its founder, Sotüde Yari, the company has collaborated with numerous world-renowned businesses and achieved success in the European and U.S. markets as well.
We are truly honored to have the opportunity to bring our Sumi-e animation to the world through this collaboration. By combining the strengths of both companies, we hope to showcase the creativity of Seahorse Agency, the essence of Dubai, and the beauty of Japan to as many people as possible.
Please feel free to inquire!
