Viz Pictures has acquired six documentary films chronicling the lives and works of a diverse group of contemporary Japanese artists.  The films will be screened at the Viz Cinema in San Francisco and then released on DVD by Viz Media starting this fall with Traveling With Yoshitomo Nara, which captures a journey that the artist Yoshitomo Nara took during the creation of his exhibit, AtoZ, in his hometown of Hirosaki, Japan. The film was directed by Koji Sakabe and is narrated by actress Aoi Miyazaki, who also starred in the hit film Nana.

The second DVD release, which is due out this winter, is Yayoi Kusama: I Love Me, which documents the creative processes of the artist as she works to complete a series of fifty large monochrome drawings.

One of the most interesting films in the series, Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo, examines the life and work of the charismatic photographer who is famous for his high contrast images of urban life.

Another fascinating film that takes a totally different tack in portraying urban life is Hisashi Tenmyouya: Samurai Nouveau, which examines the works of the neo-traditionalist painter who renders contemporary urban street people in the traditional Japanese style.

Makoto Aida: Cynic in the Playground examines the diverse output of Makoto Aida, who is known for his controversial manga, paintings, and video installations.

The final DVD in the series, which like the last four mentioned above will be released in 2010, is Katsura Funikoshi: Whispering Gaze, a study of the sculptor who is known for his camphor-wood carvings of human and human-like figures.