Hiromi Matsuo is a popular illustrator known for his retro-modern worldview. His short manga, a collaboration with manga artist Seizo Watase, who is celebrating his 50th year as an artist, was serialized in the quarterly magazine "Illustration" (Genkosha), which also attracted attention. Although Matsuo is now a popular illustrator, he says that he often struggled and wavered in his twenties. We asked him about his path to becoming a popular illustrator and what he values in his work.
◇The worries and doubts of my twenties were not in vain
Matsuo was born in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture in 1980. He began working as an illustrator in 2010, and his doujinshi gained popularity. He made his commercial debut in 2016 with "Hyakkaten Waltz" (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha). Many of his works are based on motifs from the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa periods, and he has attracted attention for his high fashion sense, from the patterns and dressing of kimonos to accessories, makeup and hairstyles.
Matsuo's work is sometimes described as "retro-modern," and his unique worldview has made him popular. He has loved the retro world since he was a child, and has also been drawing pictures.
"When I was in the second grade of elementary school, I read the manga version of The Tale of Genji and became hooked. I was a child who liked the traditional Japanese atmosphere. From elementary school onwards, I liked Yumeji Takehisa and Seiichi Hayashi. As a child, I didn't understand nostalgia, but I think I felt something fresh and emotional about them. I wanted to be a manga artist, but I went to a regular university, which I deeply regretted. Of course, everyone was at university to study, and they volunteered on their days off. My classmates were working hard, so I wondered what I was doing. I was surrounded by people who were working hard, so I thought to myself, if I want to draw, then just draw. In the end, I took a leave of absence from school and started working at a used bookstore."
It took many twists and turns before he made his debut as an illustrator.
"I was working part-time at a used bookstore while aiming to become a manga artist. The bookstore was closing down, so I was drawing manga and bringing my work to other stores, but it wasn't going well, so I gave up manga for a while and tried to become a freelance illustrator. That was around 2009. I started from scratch there and then. I was in my twenties, unsure whether to pursue manga or illustration, and I was wavering. My twenties seemed to be a period of preparation, and I myself thought I would just figure it out by the time I was 30."
The turning point came when he published a doujinshi, a collection of original illustrations that received a huge response.
"Around 2010, when I started making doujinshi, the number of people releasing original illustration books was gradually increasing. However, at the time, publishing original illustration books (not derivative works) in doujinshi was considered a risky venture, and people around me discouraged it. A friend of mine, an illustrator named Sakizo, was drawing original doujinshi, and it looked like he was having fun. It may have been a naive idea, but I thought I'd give it a try, so I started drawing what I liked. I also enjoy making books, and I tried making my own logos and designs. I had done a little design work during my time at the used bookstore, and the self-taught skills I had acquired came in handy when it came to doujinshi. It was a lot of fun, after all. I think I'm still in the same vein today. I wasn't in the red from the start, and at the time I was releasing about three books a year, and gradually I started getting more work."
By giving form to what she loved, it became her job. There were times when she was worried and unsure, but her experiences up to that point led to her current job as an illustrator.
"When I was in my twenties, I was drawing manga and I regret thinking too much about the trends of editors and readers and how to deal with them. I guess I should have just enjoyed drawing more. I was depressed in my twenties, but I was able to receive praise for giving form to what I loved, so nothing was wasted, and I now think it was good that I worried and wavered."
◇ Always look for what you like
Matsuo's work is popular for its retro-modern worldview, but it has more to offer than just retro. It fuses a modern sensibility to achieve a unique expression. Its freshness, which goes beyond nostalgia, is widely accepted. There is also a sense of "newness."
"I want to leave behind works that will be loved for a long time. Because I like the retro style, I don't think it's good to stick to the conventions of retro. Rather than forcing myself to pursue new things, I'm always searching for what I like, which is probably why my work looks new. I'm not one to jump on the latest things, but I do like reading fashion magazines, so I feel like trends emerge without me even realizing it."
Matsuo's work is both elegant and sexy, but not provocative. "I try not to let people see it that way," he says, striking an exquisite balance.
The beautiful depiction of kimono is also a big attraction. Kimono is also one of my favorite things.
"I've always had a fascination with kimonos. Watase Sensei's "Na" is one example. When I was a university student, there was a boom in antique kimonos. A magazine called "KIMONO Hime" was incorporating kimonos into street fashion, and I would buy and wear kimonos that were being sold at bargain prices in antique shops."
◇The influence of Mutsumi Inomata
In addition to his collaborator Watase, Matsuo also cited Mutsumi Inomata as a major influence. Inomata is a popular illustrator known for works such as "Leda: War of Leda," "Future GPX Cyber Formula," and the "Tales of" series, and has had a major impact on the world of anime and manga.
"If I hadn't come across Inomata's work, I wouldn't be drawing the manga and anime-style illustrations I do now, and my style would be completely different. I like Beardsley, Takehisa Yumeji, Nagasawa Setsu... and many others, but in terms of illustrations, Inomata has had a big influence on me."
He has created his own unique worldview by drawing on a variety of influences, not just anime and manga-style expressions.
The short manga he worked on with Watase, whom he "loved," was a collaboration with a master artist he admired, and he felt "humbled."
"When collaborating with Watase-sensei, I had to turn off all the different switches in my head, or I'd get carried away. I've always admired Watase-sensei's technique for expressing things in four pages. I wish I could have made a bigger leap from his name, but if I had done that, it wouldn't have fit into four pages. Every single panel is persuasive, and adding or subtracting wouldn't have worked. I felt the power of illustration. Watase-sensei also said, 'The story is the most important thing.' Even with just one panel, the story is conveyed without too much explanation. That's what makes it so cool."
The view that emerges after going through worries and doubts and pursuing what you love. Matsuo's work is imprinted with this trajectory.
Matsuo's solo exhibition, "Hiromi Matsuo Exhibition: Retro Modern Fantasia," is being held at the Hirata Honjin Memorial Museum (Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture) until January 25, 2026. His collaboration with Watase, "RENDEZ-VOUS Watase Seizo x Hiromi Matsuo" (Genkosha), is scheduled to be released this winter.
