TOMO HYAKUTAKE: master of horror

For the better part of 20 years, TOMO HYAKUTAKE has been a creative tour de force in the Japanese horror scene. Trying on his hat as a character designer, makeup artist, mask creator, director and more - Hyakutake has been instrumental behind the scenes in some of the most important Japanese horror releases of the 21st century.

While at University, Hyakutake was fortunate enough to study under the renowned Screaming Mad George - the renowned Japanese special effects artist who worked on the likes of Nightmare on Elm Street, Predator and Big Trouble in Little China Town. During this time, he began working as a prosthetic makeup assistant for tv and music videos. At 30, he turned to film and forayed into designing his own characters and unique looks.

Hyakutake’s haunting visuals are truly the work of a master. His inspiration often comes from his travels to temples around Japan. Coupling this with his own online research, he visualizes terrifying characters in his head and works tirelessly in his atelier to bring them to life. His original characters often have a disturbing amphibian like appearance. Since 2021, he has been inspired by the theme of eggs and has been working on several disturbing new creations.

Quickly becoming recognized for his talent, Hyakutake has now worked on films with the likes of Takashi Miike, Hitoshi Matsumoto and Koji Shiraishi. In the 20 years since he began in film, Hyakutake has now worked on well over 100 Japanese movies. Recently, he was afforded the chance to work on Hideaki Anno’s ‘Shin Godzilla’ - a satirical modern remake of the old Kaiju film. From 2017, he began experimenting with directing himself and released his first film - “Tetsudon: The Kaiju Dream Match.”

In a modern horror industry that often uses only CGI, Hyakutake is one of those rarer artists keeping the practice of prosthetics and physical character design alive. For anyone with a passion for horror, following Hyakutake’s films is an absolute must.