Earthen walls and white plaster facades that look straight out of the Edo period stretch across the townscape as golden natsumikan oranges hang heavy from branches. Facing the Sea of Japan, Hagi still holds the deep imprint of its past as a castle-town. It was this quiet harmony between history and nature that illustrator Dean Aizawa chose to capture.
“Everything I painted for this issue of PAPERSKY was of places I’ve never been,” Aizawa says. “I had no idea Yamaguchi was so worth walking. I’d never seen Hagi’s beautiful townscape or Nagato Yumoto’s historic hot spring district until I received the reference photos. And yet, I think the paintings turned out pretty well.”
Aizawa spent his school years at an international school in Tokyo and later graduated from an art university in San Francisco. Now based in Japan, he works as an illustrator and watercolor artist, focusing primarily on landscapes for magazines, advertising, and other media.
“When I’m painting landscapes, it’s the light, the shadows, and the sense of atmosphere that guide me,” he says. “That’s probably why the piece showing Yamaguchi at dusk was the toughest this time… The reference photo I received was taken in daylight, so I had to reimagine the whole thing in the evening. I’m confident about the others—but that one, not so much,” he laughs.
The piece Aizawa refers to is the one depicting Kokasha, a guesthouse quietly nestled on the outskirts of Yamaguchi. Beneath the beautiful gradients of a sunset sky, warm light spills from the windows of the refined building. Unlike digital work, watercolor doesn’t allow for easy do-overs, yet despite Aizawa’s modesty, he captures the stillness of a place awaiting travelers with striking clarity.
“Sometimes having a specific theme or constraint brings out more creativity,” he says. “Of course, there are jobs that aren’t so fun. Of course, that happens,” he laughs. “But PAPERSKY isn’t one of them. I want to push myself further… hopefully next time I’ll get to join the journey in person.”
After sharing his hopes for the future, Aizawa gave a live watercolor demonstration, sketching a street scene of Shibuya below. His well-worn tools showed signs of frequent use, evoking the minimalist gear of the ultralight hiking culture he’s drawn to. In just about 15 minutes, the outline of Shibuya’s cityscape emerged on a page of his Moleskine notebook. While there’s a clear difference between a polished commission and an improvised sketch, the way he sees a landscape—the way he captures light, mood, and movement—remains consistent throughout.
“Watercolor painting, for me, is about capturing a landscape through color. Whether it’s a dense cityscape like Shibuya or the nature-rich scenes of Yamaguchi, the approach doesn’t change. I’d be happy if people enjoy the colors of Yamaguchi I brought to the pages of this issue.”
Dean Aizawa
Born in 1993 in Tokyo, Dean Aizawa is an illustrator and landscape painter. He graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a degree in Fine Art Painting. His work spans magazines, advertising, and editorial illustration. A passionate hiker and runner, he also serves as an organizer for open country, a nonprofit outdoor community.
