Begin Japanology

Adam Booth is an English-born master of Nihonga, a kind of painting that uses traditional Japanese methods and styles. Nihonga requires special materials, including unprocessed natural pigments used in making the paint. It can take a week to fully apply just one color to a painting. In 2002, Booth came to Japan and began studying Nihonga painting in earnest. Part of what makes his own Nihonga style so unique is his use of fables and allegories in his work. Booth lives in the old heart of Tokyo and draws inspiration from the area's traditional festivals and friendly people. Recently, he served as the chief artist of a giant mural of Tokyo packed with detailed illustrations of more than 80,000 buildings. It sits inside the newly opened Tokyo Skytree, the world's tallest communications tower. Today, we meet Adam Booth, whose paintings embody the appeal of Nihonga and reveal his love of Tokyo.