Matt Schley
July 13, 2025 
Starting July 24, the Suginami Animation Museum is holding an exhibition devoted to the background art of the long-running series Natsume’s Book of Friends.
The exhibition serves as a memorial to the creator of that background art, Yukihiro Shibutani, who died last year at the age of 63.
Shibutani was in charge of backgrounds for all seven seasons of Natsume’s Book of Friends as well as the OVAs and films.
At the time of his passing, the official X account of Natsume’s Book of Friends posted a tribute to Shibutani, saying that “he has been a pillar of the art department since the first season, bringing the story to life with warmth, tenderness, and beauty.”
The exhibition is free and runs until November 16.
Here’s how Viz describes Natsume’s Book of Friends:
Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he’s a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.
Source: Natalie
