Dean Aizawa is a Tokyo-born illustrator and watercolor artist. Focusing on themes like travel, the outdoors, and culture, he creates landscape works for travel publications including PAPERSKY. His quiet, evocative style has been drawing increasing attention. For Dean, who spent his school years at an international school, Shibuya was the go-to hangout with classmates. Even after heading to college in the U.S., every trip home meant a stop in Shibuya. His first job as a brand designer was also in the area. No matter how often he returns, the city never runs out of spark. Today, he takes us through its ever-evolving streets-sketchbook tucked in his backpack, ready to capture the pulse.
A meditative and sincere act: the art of sketching.
“Watercolors are about capturing a scene through color-not fixating on architectural detail-so in that sense, Shibuya’s actually an easy city to paint,” says Dean Aizawa.
Pulling out his well-worn watercolor set from a backpack, he completes a sketch in just 15 minutes. The Sky Lobby at Shibuya Hikarie offers sweeping views of the city and has a counter perfect for painting, making it a hidden gem for artists. He finds inspiration for painting in Shibuya’s vivid landscape with its colorful billboards.
“Shibuya is always bursting with information. But when I sit down and sketch, all that noise funnels into focus. It clears my head. It’s almost meditative, you know? Sketching is like that.”
Shibuya is a metropolisーand yet, a village.
Because Dean attended an international school, many of his contemporaries lived in Roppongi or Azabu. Whenever they met up, Shibuya-convenient and central-was the natural choice. It was on one of his many exploratory walks through the city that he stumbled upon the Sky Lobby.
“Just walking down from the high-rises toward Oku-Shibuya, the atmosphere shifts with every block. Shibuya may be a big city, but it feels like a cluster of small villages. There’s nowhere quite like it―not even abroad. It’s fascinating.”
Once he steps into the Kamiyama shopping street, Dean enters a place steeped in personal memory. After graduating from art school in San Francisco and returning to Japan, he worked long hours at a design and branding firm in nearby Tomigaya- a fast-paced chapter he still recalls vividly.
Sandwiches Crafted with Care Fuel for His Fast-Paced Office Days
“Those two years were tough… I walked the Udagawa Greenway a lot-sometimes to take a breather, sometimes to slack off, haha. It was around then that I started going to CAMELBACK sandwich & espresso. I always order their house-made lamb bacon sandwich or the egg sandwich, washed down with a small latte.”
Owner Hayato Naruse is a former sushi chef, crafting each sandwich by hand only after it’s ordered. He describes Dean, a regular, as thoughtful and quietly observant― exactly the kind of customer they hope to welcome.
“I’m grateful… He often sketched here with a ballpoint pen while chatting. Those moments felt precious during what looked like tough days.”
Running is both a breath of fresh air and a form of meditation.
Now in high demand as an illustrator for magazines and advertisements, Dean also leads popular monthly watercolor drawing workshops at his friend’s “Reel Atelier Shop Gallery TOR.” Amid long hours at the desk, running has become his decompression session.
“I often run along Yamate-dori, aiming for 5 to 10 kilometers every three days. It’s a vital ritual for maintaining both mind and body. Running, to me, overlaps with meditation. I also play futsal at the courts near the National Yoyogi Stadium. Beyond simply loving physical activity, I feel it sparks my creativity―that’s an indispensable part of my routine.”
Though he hikes almost monthly and often paints natural landscapes, he emphasizes the importance of balancing city and nature. After working up a sweat amid Shibuya’s greenery, he caps off the day at “BEER BRAIN Harajuku,” where he can sometimes be found pulling pints of beer. Skyscrapers, shopping streets, and standout local spots-all merge together here in Shibuya.
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Shibuya Hikarie 11F Sky Lobby
2-21 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, 11th Floor, Shibuya Hikarie
One of Dean’s favorite observation spaces, offering exceptional views of Shibuya landmarks like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing and MIYASHITA PARKーa hidden gem for sightseeing.
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CAMELBACK sandwich&espresso
42-2 Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL : 03-6407-0069
The signature “Sushi Chef’s Tamago Sandwich” often sells out-visit in the morning to be sure to try it. For a quieter experience, the evening is the best time to go.
@camelback_tokyo
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Reel Atelier Shop Gallery TOR
Heights Sangubashi B102, 4-41-14 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
An atelier and shop by a leather brand, offering a wide range of wallets and cases. Exhibitions by artists are frequently held. Irregular holidays.
@reel__tor
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Yamate-dori
One of Dean’s favorite running routes. He often runs north and south along Yamate-dori, or east and west along Inokashira-dori.
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National Yoyogi Stadium Futsal Court
2-1-1 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL : 03-5790-5666
An outdoor futsal court with four artificial turf fields, equipped with night lighting. Dean played as a side back during his high school days.
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BEER BRAIN Harajuku
2-18-19 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL : 080-9664-7170
A craft beer stand brewing in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. It always offer five different taps and cans as well. Its flagship store is located in Jingumae.
@beerbrain_harajuku
Dean Aizawa
Born in 1993, from Mitaka, Tokyo. Illustrator and watercolor artist. Graduated from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, majoring in Fine Art Painting. Also a community organizer for the nonprofit outdoor group “open country” and the shared office “MIDORI.so.” For details on his monthly watercolor drawing workshops held in Shibuya, see his Instagram: @deanaizawa
