A native of Akita prefecture, he's best known as an art director and background artist for Studio Ghibli, where he's shaped the look of some of the studio's most iconic films. He's also published two artbooks and directed an OVA.

His path into animation was unconventional. After finishing at Kakunodate Akita High School, he enrolled in a design school but dropped out a year before graduating. He entered the animation industry as a painter, cutting his teeth at Kobayashi Production under the mentorship of president Kobayashi Shichirou. A brief stint at Madhouse followed, where he worked on Wicked City, before Miyazaki Hayao spotted him in 1987 while hunting for a new art director for the fledgling Studio Ghibli.

His breakthrough came as art director on My Neighbor Totoro, where his work caught the attention of both Miyazaki and Takahata Isao. Both directors praised his talent, particularly impressed by how naturally he rendered the film's greenery—a quality that became something of his signature.