Masaaki Okura is a renowned Japanese art director and background painter, best known for his long-standing collaboration with Studio Ghibli. His career, which began in the 1980s, has seen him establish himself as a master in creating evocative and richly detailed environments. He served as art director for acclaimed films such as *My Neighbors the Yamadas* and *The Tale of the Princess Kaguya*, where his characteristic painterly style, reminiscent of watercolor techniques, played a fundamental role in defining the works' visual identity. In addition to his work with Ghibli, he has supervised notable productions such as *The Girl Who Leapt Through Time* and *A Letter to Momo*. For his contribution to *The Tale of the Princess Kaguya*, he received the Best Art Direction award at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival, a recognition that confirms his influence in the world of animation.