Kaname Ozuma

Born in 1939 in Kashiwazaki, Kaname Ozuma (real name Katsutoshi Sakai) became fascinated with painting and art at an early age. He studied under his uncle, who he himself was a professional artist, and eventually attended art school at the age of 18. An unfortunate turn of events when he fell ill, the young artist moved back home.

Young Kaname Ozuma eventually submitted a piece of art to the Kitan Club magazine for a contest, an adult magazine with a focus on bondage and SM works from the country's newest artists like Namio Harukawa. This became very fruitful, as an editor took a keen liking to Ozuma's work and he began submitting regular pieces to a few different men's magazines. Using two aliases - Yoko and Kaname Ozuma - he developed a recognizable style synonymous with mystery and women's fashion. Many of these painted women wore tattoos, and they became so popular he was illustrating for many different magazines of the time period. Magazines with a square binding that aided in their preservation included titles like SM Hisyousetsu (Secret Stories), SM Select and SM Fan.

Eventually, his work caught the eye of a tattooer named Horiyoshi III. A chance meeting after the latter wrote into a men's magazine wanting to meet Ozuma, the two struck up a friendship based on their love of tattoos. The two operated very differently but with similar goals in mind. Horiyoshi III's approach to art was that of the traditional Japanese tattoo bodysuit, while Kaname Ozuma created dreamlike sequences where the tattooed woman found herself in many different emotional states. 

Kaname Ozuma has released many different books and prints under this name and his other pseudonym Yoko Ozuma. Yoko was finally dropped in his later years, and a strict focus on the traditional Japanese imagery found in tattoos was sharpened. 

You can find more of Kaname Ozuma's work on the artist's website, run by his son since his passing in 2011.