"The Zodiac Sign - Flock of Sheep"

Good citizens gather at a public speech in front of a train station. The candidate is giving a speech passionately atop their campaign van but is she really on the side of the citizens? Unaware of their pointed ears and tails, the sheeple cheer them on.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” April, 2024) * April - June are the same series


"The Zodiac Sign - Donna Donna"

A group of company employees leave the human farm to go to work. The bus they board is bound for “Great (Steak)” House... Will their hard-working days have a happy ending or not?
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” May, 2024) * April - June are the same series


"The Zodiac Sign - Parallel Worlds"

Suteki(Great) House is a parallel world. The forms of individual happiness, which seem similar but are slightly different, are developing in different places and in all kinds of places.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” June, 2024) * April - June are the same series


"The Zodiac Sign - Prodigal Crab"

Crab picked up a high-end diver's watch at the seashore. Since then, it acquired the taste for brand-name products that show off its status! The prodigal crab is happy to wear them on its claws and legs as much as possible.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” July, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - The Lion’s Roar and the Setting Sun"

Alone in Savannah, Populist Jr. roars like a lion. But it's just a performance for him, whose advantage lies in his popularity and his success as an heir. The lions are bored when they are informed that it is a "fixed match."
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” August, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - Modified Maiden"

The exaggerated facial features and distorted limbs of the girls on SNS are an exposure of their aesthetic sensibilities and their desire to be an ideal beauty. The disastrous finish is like a portrait of new objectivity. (The champagne bottle contains the residual thoughts of men who spent on the girls too much)
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” September, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - Absence of Themis"

"Many of the Geists, such as ideology, faith, and patriotism, which are considered the pillars of identity, are merely concepts created for human convenience, and are all nothing more than Geists, or ghosts." - this is the thinking of Max Stirner.
What is the righteous cause of war? … It becomes meaningless. What is the purpose of all this slaughter?
The goddess of justice, Themis, with her sword broken and her power of deterrence lost, stares through the narrow gap in her blindfold at something far heavier than the pile of skulls on her scales.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” October, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - The Aftermath of Phaethon"

Phaethon, having begged his father, Apollo, for the sun chariot, took it out for a spin despite his inexperience. Unable to control it, the chariot went wild, causing fires everywhere. It’s said that the catalyst for the chaos was the poisonous sting of the scorpion.
The illustration of the scorpion robot depicts the cleanup after the third fiery disaster. (A service of apology)
News reports mention that fuel debris has been extracted from the containment vessel of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The amount extracted was a mere 0.7 grams, but the total debris weighs 880 tons. The immense sin of leaving such an enormous mess for future generations. Sitting in a Kotatsu and listening to music from a CD, I am a child of sin (an electricity consumer).
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” November, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - The Nameless Archer"

With the smartphone you hold in your hand, you can easily pierce someone's heart (in a bad way).
Poor little heart! Made into a sacrifice by the nameless archers, unable to stop shedding blood tears.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” December, 2024)


"The Zodiac Sign - Mr. White Goat, Mr. Black Goat"

Mr. White Goat handles the shredder, and Mr. Black Goat is in charge of inking.
Their daily tasks are the disposal and tampering of official documents. In this room where time and thought have stopped, the goats, public servants who perform their duties in a nonchalant manner, feel a sense of duty but no guilt.
Just now, the High Court issued an order for the release of the Moritomo documents! How timely for my illustration.
The model for the Black Goat is Baphomet. Will the Black Mass in Kasumigaseki be exposed?
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” January, 2025)


"The Zodiac Sign - Our Water Bottle"

The sunken villages at the bottom of a Dam is a subject I have worked on several times before.
When I imagine a mountain village buried under water silently, I feel suffocated because I can’t swim and feel uneasy in the water.
An urban water bottle that seems to be still breathing, with the afterimage of life ablaze.
This time, I imagined Lake Okutama (Kogochi Reservoir).
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” February, 2025)


"The Zodiac Sign - Pseudo-bait of Darkness"

How did a part-timer lured by a high reward (pseudo-bait) end up?
I drew banknotes illuminating the darkness as a homage to the famous caricature “Mr Nouveau riche” who claimed “How's it getting brighter?” while burning a banknote.
Their dark ethics, like those of the mob (in violent youth comics) that easily fall into the dark side, are on a different level from the cheerful worship of money of Mr Nouveau riche. Dark future, so far from brightness, awaits in the belly of the anglerfish.
(Illustration in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper's morning edition “Rondan Jihyo” March, 2025)