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Sentaro Iwata

いわた せんたろう

Iwata Sentarō

Aliases: 專太郞（旧字体）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1901-06-08 （Kurofunemachi, Asakusa, Tokyo (now Kotobuki, Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan)）
Died
1974-02-19 （Tokyo, Japan） age 72
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Kyoto (family relocated) → Osaka (moved after the Great Kanto Earthquake) → Tabata, Tokyo (Tabata literary village)

Career

Occupations
Painter, Illustrator, Art consultant / historical advisor
Active Years
1919-1974
Influenced By
Kikuchi Keigetsu, Itō Shinsui
Influenced
Mitsuhisa Kimura

Education

Elementary school (former system)
Country: Japan
Graduated from an elementary school under the old system

Awards

Kikuchi Kan Prize
1954
Work: Cover art and illustrations
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Brief Respite

1944 Japanese-style painting

A 1944 Japanese-style painting; one of the works held by The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

wartime scenefigure

Kamikaze Unit Departure (II)

1945 Japanese-style painting (wartime work)

A 1945 painting produced during the war; part of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo's collection.

warnational themes

Sentarō Iwata Art Collection: Onna

1971 Art collection

An art collection focused on depictions of women, gathering representative bijin-ga works.

bijin-ga (paintings of beautiful women)female beautyattire

Dekijo-den

1964 Essays

An essay collection published in 1964.

personal essayscontemplations on women

Woman, Onna, Woman

1966 Essays

An essay collection centered on women, including reflections that relate to his bijin-ga works.

views on womenreminiscence

Record of My Half-Life

1972 Memoir

An autobiographical memoir detailing his artistic career and anecdotes from the industry.

autobiographyartist's life

Naruto Hichō (illustrations)

1924 Illustrations (serial novel)

He provided illustrations for Yoshikawa Eiji's serialized novel 'Naruto Hichō' in 1924, a work that brought him acclaim.

illustrationhistorical fiction

The Magician (illustrations for Edogawa Ranpo)

1930 Illustration

Illustrations for Edogawa Ranpo's 'The Magician' (1930), published in 'Kōdan Club'.

illustrationmystery

Saikaidō Danki (illustrations)

1971 Illustrations (serial)

Illustrations for a serialized work by Seichō Matsumoto in Shūkan Bunshun (1971–1974), one of Iwata's late-career projects.

illustrationmodern fiction

Bibliography

  • Sentarō Iwata Art Collection: Onna (Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1971)
  • Three Hundred Years of Women (Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1973)
  • Sentarō Iwata Masterpieces (Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1974)
  • Dekijo-den (Yomiuri Shimbunsha, 1964)
  • Woman, Onna, Woman (Kōdansha, 1966)
  • Record of My Half-Life (Ie no Hikari Kyōkai, 1972)
  • Sentarō Iwata Illustration Collection (Mainichi Shimbunsha, 1976)

Adaptations

  • Ninjō Shifūsen (1937, P.C.L. film) — art consultation
  • Sono Zen'ya (1939, Toho Kyoto) — art consultation
  • Nagare (1956, Toho) — costume consultation and color guidance
  • Sumidagawa (1942, Shochiku Ōfuna) — art consultation

Style & Themes

Literary Style
'Sentarō' style bijin-ga (beautiful-woman paintings)Modern ukiyo-e-influenced illustrationBlend of realism and decorative elements
Recurring Motifs
womenhaireyesattire / ornamentationkimono

Legacy

A leading Showa-era illustrator and bijin-ga painter known for magazine covers and serial-novel illustrations. His distinctive 'Sentarō style' influenced popular visual culture; his works and artbooks remain in collections including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

Museums

  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo Tokyo, Japan (collection)
  • Yayoi Museum Tokyo, Japan (holds works)

Archives

  • Iwata Sentarō Collection (Kindonichikan)
  • Entry in the Japanese Movie Database (JMDb)

In Popular Culture

  • The 'Sentarō style' became a recognized aesthetic for magazine covers and book illustrations.
  • Considered one of the 'three crows' of illustration, a symbol of illustration culture in his era.

Trivia

  • His younger sister was actress Akiko Minato.
  • Awarded the 2nd Kikuchi Kan Prize (1954) for his cover art and illustrations.
  • Regarded as one of the 'three crows' of illustrators (alongside Shimura Tatsumi and Kobayashi Hidetune).
  • Moved to Osaka after the Great Kanto Earthquake and later returned to Tokyo (Tabata).
  • Worked as an art consultant and costume advisor for films, collaborating with directors such as Mikio Naruse.
  • Works are held by institutions including The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and the Yayoi Museum.