In Japan, and increasingly on an international scale, Koichiro Tsujikawa is hailed as a deity of the visual arts. A graphic designer-turned-motion director/wizard (check any of his videos for electro-pop artist Cornelius for proof), his most ground-breaking work seamlessly melds the worlds of motion graphics, CG animation and live-action in ways that defy explanation as much as they dazzle.

With his first US commercial work due to break in July (a multi-spot campaign for Smirnoff via JWT New York), his international reputation and demands on his time are sure to skyrocket. But he seems relatively unfazed. "At the moment I'm making a visual installation for an art exhibition, as well as designing a DVD album cover for a musician friend," he says, taking a break from pre-pro for the American job. "I've reduced my sleeping hours as much as possible!"

That's an approach probably shared by director/designer/art director Hideyuki Tanaka, now repped internationally by Hungry Man. Beginning his career with a stint at network NHK, he then set up his own company, Frame Graphics, which worked extensively on titles for TV as well as gaming software and design. He began directing in 1998 with the explosive "Polynesia" promo for Takkyu Ishino, and has helmed award-winning spots for the East Japan Railway Company's "JRSKI" campaign (featuring an extremely photo-real skiing ostrich), and directed the surreal anime comedy OH! Super-Milk Chan. And did we mention his clothing line, Superlovers?

"The most important thing is to work with people who are determined to create interesting work in an environment which demands [it]," says Tanaka via email, citing Tokyo's "very fast tempo" as a vital influence. Wieden + Kennedy, Tokyo CD Eric Cruz (see "Culture Club", pg. 74) concurs: "As soon as you invent something new, someone else tops that the next day."

"It seems to be very competitive in Tokyo, though I don't feel it very often," offers Takeshi Nakamura, founder of the collective Caviar, best known in these parts for its work on Coke's first M5 project in 2005. "Everybody gets along well with each other and we're always exchanging information and inspiration."

That inspiration is disseminated through myriad projects, with commercial work, music videos and broadcast design projects bumping up against CD packaging, interactive and mobile work, short films, and product design. TeeVee Graphics, launched in 1995 by director Junji Kojima and featuring the talents of mograph wiz Hidenobu Tanabe, has produced incredibly eye-catching work for clients such as music channels MTV and Space Shower TV, Kirin beer, Honda and Evian, as well as promos for the Devo-esque Polysics (the frantic "You You You") and garage rockers Boom Boom Satellites. But the company also compiles and sells DVD collections of personal mograph films, called "Video Victim", culled from their own gallery shows. One of Tokyo's busiest multi-disciplinary design shops, Groovisions, also holds its own exhibit twice a year at the city's Rocket gallery in addition to creating its own wide-ranging product line.

Working on divergent outside projects affords Tokyo design directors and artists much more creative freedom than strict broadcast assignments. "We don't usually have any complete freedom," says Kojima about TeeVee Graphics' commercial work, echoing his Western counterparts. "It's almost a miracle when we do."

"Given the size of the ad and TV industry here, I don't think that there are many agency producers or account executives, and more significantly clients, who are that informed or inspired by a design or motion graphic creative approach," says Andrew Thomas, the co-founder of production company hybrid, which reps both Koichiro Tsujikawa and Caviar among others.

With the average Japanese spot being 15 seconds long, the two- to three- second animated end tag tends to account for a good chunk of the design and graphic work appearing in spots. And as for broadcast design, while Thomas notes a few exceptions - networks like NHK, MTV and Space Shower - most of the work on the main terrestrial channels is, according to Thomas, "usually produced in-house and is remarkable for lacking any design sense...pretty surprising to say the least."

Surprising indeed, given the versatility of Tokyo's talent. With music promos alone, the breadth of aesthetic ranges from the frenetic (any Polysics video) to the whimsical and kawai-i (meaning "cute" and seen in Caviar's "Boyfriend" clip for pop star Ayuse Kozue) to the mind-bogglingly creative. Koichiro Tsujikawa's "Fit Song" for Cornelius, for example, had punters worldwide wondering how it was done. CG? Stop-motion? Magic?

But if, as Thomas says, some Japanese agencies and TV clients aren't fully exploiting homegrown talent, international work is beckoning. He points to a recent two-spot Finnish campaign for Habbo, featuring character design and animation from hybrid's Atsushi Baba and Makoto Miura, and Tsujikawa's upcoming US debut as proof.

The end result - more international eyes are looking East for inspiration, which, again, doesn't faze Tsujikawa.

"It's not really a big deal for me if the city of Tokyo is exciting or not as we get constant stimulation, information and inspiration everyday from all over world," he muses. "[But] I really enjoy living and working here."

Groovisions http://www.groovisions.com
hybrid http://www.creativehybird.com
TeeVee Graphics http://www.teeveeg.com
Koichiro Tsujikawa http://www.tsujikawakoichiro.com

Wieden+Kennedy, Tokyo www.wktokyolab.com