In 2009, Takano Akira successfully won the national audition held by “Tensai Terebi-kun MAX” and made his debut in the entertainment industry as part of “Dream5.” He took the world by storm with “Youkai Taiso Daiichi,” the ending theme of “Youkai Watch.” Fast forward 10 years…
He totally blew past the idea that it’s tough for child actors to really make it big. The young man who once danced around singing “Youkai deru ken deraren ken” is now showing off his talents across genres—music, dance, theater, film, and TV drama—in everything he does.
His talent shines even more when expressed through art, leaving one feeling not even jealous but simply in awe.
Through the collaboration with the art brand GAAAT, Takano Akira opens his first solo exhibition “To Adventures” (Bouken ni Tsuki)1. The exhibition runs for seven days from May 22 to May 28, 2025, where visitors can view up close the original watercolor paintings drawn by Takano Akira, as well as the MCA (Metal Canvas Art) works created through collaboration with art brand GAAAT. During the exhibition period, limited edition works produced exclusively for this occasion are also available through online lottery sales— something worth checking out.
On May 23, 2025, a talk event was held to celebrate this exhibition. Due to overwhelming demand far beyond the 80-person capacity, we included a portion of the discussion shared below in a Q&A format for those who couldn’t attend.
Q – So, what got you started drawing and doing art in the first place?
A – I’ve loved drawing since I was little, just sketching in notebooks and stuff. When I was in elementary school, I joined the illustration club, and I’d even draw during class. [laughs] Also, my family and I used to have these drawing contests at home.
Q – What kind of mood or feelings make you want to draw?
A – Even when I’m working on other stuff, if I see some art, for example, that really makes me feel like I want to draw more.
Q – Going to art museums, you mean?
A – Yes, that’s right. I often see museum exhibition plans pop up on social media, and I’ll go check them out. I’m usually more of an indoor person, but going to such places doesn’t feel like a chore at all.
Q – Have you been to any exhibitions or museums recently?
A – I went to “Western Paintings: Where to Look” at the National Museum of Western Art.
Q – What does it mean to appreciate art, see it or create it yourself?
A – It really satisfies my curiosity, you know? It’s also something that can deeply move me, and makes me think, “ I’m glad I saw that.” Paintings like that leave a real lasting impression, kind of burned into my memory.
Q – Do you have any favorite artists or creators?
A – It’s Akira Toriyama. I’m a huge fan of video games, especially Dragon Quest. When I was a kid, I watched Dragon Ball every week, and I was amazed that the same person was really creating both! I used to draw Dragon Ball characters in my notebooks. And seeing Monet’s water lilies in person was just incredible. Whether it’s Impressionism or Realism, I really love works that draw me in with their colors and such. I also enjoy looking at the clothing worn by people in old portrait paintings.
Q – This being your first art exhibition, what made you decide to go for it?
A – I had been drawing watercolors at another event and wanted to exhibit them. Also, lately I’ve just really been into painting, and I’ve had a lot more time to actually paint and go to museums. So, having my own exhibition became kind of a goal, or a dream of mine.
Q – This time, your original paintings have been transformed into MCA (Metal Canvas Art) works, original art pieces created by art brand GAAAT. By applying proprietary technical processing to metal canvases, they’re made to maintain their beauty for a long time. Features include changing appearance depending on light angles, three-dimensional texture, plus weight and durability. What did you think when you actually saw them?
A – I’d never seen anything quite like it, and when I first saw them in person, I thought they were truly amazing. They reflected each individual line I drew, and with the three-dimensionality, vividness, and the unique qualities of metal, I think they turned out beautifully. I really love preserved flowers, and similarly, the fact that these will last a long time is a delightful feature.
Q – Regarding the watercolor paintings, these were drawn from photos taken by fans at venues during your tour that ran until March, with one selected from each venue. Were there any challenging aspects or particular points you focused on?
A – Since all the photos were so great, it was a tough choice. Picking the photos for each location was really hard. For the ‘Aichi’ one, I happened to see Mount Fuji covered in snow from the Shinkansen on the way there, and I really wanted to draw that. I happened to have some silver paint with me, so I added that in, and I think it turned out to be a pretty sparkly picture.
Q – Being during a tour with limited time for creation must have been challenging, right?
A – Yes, it was really difficult. I only had about 30 minutes per piece, and it had been quite a while since I’d used watercolors. My pencil lines—maybe because I pressed quite hard—would remain visible, but I thought that actually wasn’t bad either.
Q – For the digital artworks you made for this exhibition, did you have a specific concept or style you were going for?
A – It started with wanting to title it “To Adventure” and I drew while imagining concepts that would accompany that.
Q – Out of all of these, you chose this piece called “Beginning.” What kind of piece is it?
A – I really love RPG worlds, so I wanted to draw something where roads just keep going and getting bigger, and in the same way, the viewers’ imaginations could also expand. But when I started drawing a tree, it ended up being pretty massive, which I think turned out to be interesting in reverse.
Q – Overall, what part did you find the most challenging?
A – Yeah, the sky was a real headache. Getting the nuance of the clouds just right was tough, and I redrew them so many times. I also had to think about how it would look with the background colors, so instead of painting really meticulously, I actually went for a more rough style on purpose with the thickest pen. With digital art, the overall feel totally changes depending on those little drawing details, so I tried hundreds of times to get the right nuance.For “To Adventure,” I was really particular about getting the ideal black for the black areas in the background. Even though it’s darker outside the frame, I slightly bumped up the brightness to make it more like a dark gray, and for the clothing, I used a black that’s a bit closer to khaki. I was glad that the MCA versions also reproduced those subtle nuances.
Q – Is there anything in particular you want to convey through your art?
A – I’d love for more people to get interested in art. I’m hoping that by seeing my paintings, even if it’s just a few more people, they might start to find art interesting.
Q – You mean getting people interested in “art” itself, rather than just in you as an artist?
A – Exactly. Through what I do, I’d be really happy if the appeal of “art” could spread even just a little bit.
Q – What kind of things would you like to draw in the future?
A – Digital art, or things where my own personality comes through somehow. I want to try all sorts of different things, but while I’m exploring different ways of drawing – like watercolors, oil paintings, digital stuff, sketching – I’d like to draw what I feel like drawing.
Q – Keeping it enjoyable, essentially?
A – Yes. I’d be happy if many people could come to know that enjoyment.
Q – Finally, could you say a few words for those who couldn’t make it to the exhibition in person?
A – Even though today was a talk event, I really believe that art is something you can enjoy by letting your imagination expand when you actually see it. Especially with what we’ve been talking about today, the MCA material is fantastic, and I think it’s also interesting how you can appreciate the unique qualities of the watercolors when they’re displayed alongside the MCAs. So, I would be really happy if you could come to the exhibition and see the works up close. How you feel about my pieces is something I’d like to leave up to each of you. I hope you can simply enjoy them while letting your imagination wander.
Takano Akira isn’t bound by any one thing, really showing his talent in all sorts of ways. That image of him as ‘the Youkai Watch guy’ has pretty much faded away now. He’s not living in the past; he’s definitely all about the present. And at 27, he’s got this really impressive and talented vibe, looking forward to the future with both excitement and a real sense of what to come. We can’t take our eyes off Takano Hikaru’s future activities.
Online lottery sales will be held during the exhibition period!
We are pleased to announce a lottery sale featuring 10 artworks in total: 6 original watercolor paintings created under time constraints during our “Tea Time with Takano Sketching Your Captivating Local Photos” event, watercolor reproduction Metal Canvas Art pieces, and 4 brand-new works specially commissioned under the theme “To Adventure.”
Entry Period: Thursday, May 22, 2025, 1:00 PM – Wednesday, May 28, 2025, 11:59 PM (JST) Check the details at the URL below! Don’t miss out!
- Takano Akira × GAAAT Art Exhibition: “To Adventure”
Dates: Thursday, May 22, 2025 – Wednesday, May 28, 2025
*Opening hours vary by day:
May 22 (Thu): 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
May 23 (Fri) – May 27 (Tue): 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
May 28 (Wed): 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
BABY THE COFFEE BREW CLUB GAAAT Gallery,
3rd Floor, Tokyu Plaza Harajuku “HARAKADO” 3F, Q Plaza Harajuku, 6-28-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
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