Animation Conference 2026
Jury Lecture
Stop Motion in Japan 2026
The Japanese Stop-Motion Movement: Where It Stands Today and Future Prospects
Overview
Yuichi Ito is an animation director who has created numerous stop-motion works, including “Knyacki!”, broadcast on NHK E-TV. He is also a professor in the Department of Animation at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts.
Drawing on his experience as a creator who has continually explored distinctive forms of expression, Ito will discuss the current state and future prospects of stop-motion animation in Japan, highlighting its unique appeal and creative potential.
Speakers
Animation Director, Professor, Department of Animation, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts; Board Member, ASIFA-JAPAN; Auditor, Japan Animation Association
Yuichi Ito
Born in 1962. Graduated from the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. After working at a VFX and CG production company, he founded I.TOON Ltd. in 1995 and has served as its representative ever since. He has developed a distinctive style known as "Neo-Craft Animation," which combines stop-motion animation with VFX.
His major works include the NHK Educational TV series "Knyacki!," now in its 31st year of broadcasting; the "Pon de Lion" commercials; the music video for Hikaru Utada's "traveling"; and the short film "HARBOR TALE." He also created the Garden Bear character for the National Urban Greenery Fair Yokohama and supervised the 2026 exhibition "What Is Stop-Motion Animation?" at the SKIP CITY Visual Museum.
Since 2008, he has been a professor in the Department of Animation, Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts. He also serves on the board of ASIFA-JAPAN and as an auditor of the Japan Animation Association. He has served as a jury member at international animation film festivals, including SICAF and festivals in Hiroshima and Bratislava.
ANIAFF Artistic Director
Tadashi Sudo
Journalist
Born in Mexico and raised in Yokohama. He specializes in news coverage and research on the entertainment industry, particularly animation, film, and manga.
After working at a major securities firm, he launched the news website "Anime! Anime!" in 2004. Following the sale of the company operating the website, he became an independent freelance journalist in 2016.
He currently serves as Artistic Director of the Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF).
His major publications include "Dare ga Korekara no Anime o Tsukuru no ka? Chugoku Shihon to Netto Haishin ga Okosu Shizuka na Kakumei" and "Nihon no Anime Kantoku wa Ikani Shite Sekai e Utte Deta no ka?" (both published by Seikaisha Shinsho).