The rise of kamaya Yamamoto and his anime samurai inspired art
Kamaya Yamamoto might not have been a name that many would have been familiar with around the world, however his profile will have certainly been given a global increase recently.
Although he is not an athlete, the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games will have cast a bright light on the Japanese individual, as his artwork will have been seen around the world and will have caught the imagination of so many as it could be described as inventive and rather unique.
By combining Japanese culture alongside the cultures of the countries competing at the Games this summer, Kamaya Yamamoto was able to create an image in which he turned each nation into a Samurai, as he reimagined each nation flag as an anime character.
Anime Popularity is Helping to Drive Popularity for the work of Kamaya Yamamoto
Naturally, his work will have appeal around the world, as anime has become an incredibly popular subculture for many. There are a number of tv shows and films that have been produced that feature the genre, such as Naruto, One Punch Man and Attack on Titan all being incredibly popular.
In addition to the shows and films are a number of different slot games that feature anime themes such as titles including Sakura Fortune, Moon Princess and Koi Princess that each feature famous characters so fans can go to an online casino of choice.
Why did yamamoto choose the Samurai?
When thinking about Japan and their culture, it’s not hard to imagine why Kamaya Yamamoto would think of the legendary Samurai soldiers and warriors that have been depicted in a number of various forms of entertainment formats. These characters and individuals are synonymous with the nation, hence making them easy to identify.
However, whilst a Samurai warrior no longer exists, the term “bushido” is still very much used within Japanese culture. “Bushido” is the way of the warrior, based on honor and discipline, and it is a value that is still considered very important within Japanese culture.
Most Countries Have Been Pleased with the work of kamaya
There have been a number of instances whereby the countries that are featuring at the sporting event this summer have been pleased with the artist’s work.
Kamaya Yamamoto outlined the reason as to why he did the art as being a way for everyone to get to know about traditional Japanese culture – used nations of different sizes to complete his project, as he delved deep when doing the research, he required to ensure he got things as right and accurate as possible.
He would research the meaning and history of the country’s flag and would then take a look at the colors and design of the flag before taking a further step to research the country’s culture a little further. Once he had all the information that he required, he would then go on to produce a Samurai character that incorporated the flag and important cultural references in order to pay respect.
Kamaya Yamamoto would also go on to provide a short description of the character that he created, including personality traits, strengths and weaknesses as a tool that can be used as an educational tool for anyone who reads about them; or at least fellow artist, Kozo Yamada, hopes they will.
There Has Been Some Negativity toward the work
Unfortunately, Kamaya Yamamoto and the other artists who have worked on the project for no financial gain, have faced some negative responses for designs that they have created, although it has largely been positive.
For instance, the design for Spain had come under criticism as they had used a bullfighter as their design. The nation provided feedback on it and Yamamoto took it as positive criticism and changed it after admitting that there had been some stereotyping.
However, the positives have outweighed the negativity and there has been plenty of fun that has been provided by the Kamaya Yamamoto creations!