Masaru Shibata loved frogs

Born in 1944, Masaru Shibata was an artist who painted frog and toad motifs for 43 years. He passed away in 2015 in Aichi prefecture Japan.

He had a deep interest in frogs and toads. At his humble home in Achi Prefecture he made a small pond in his garden to observe frogs and toads in their natural environment.

He was also an avid collector of frog items.

When he was young he wanted to be a comic artist, so he mainly painted frogs and toads in the form of comics. Like many of his generation of Japanese artists, he was heavily influenced by American pop artists like Andy Warhol. Later, he also created abstract toad and frog art. Toward the end of his life he painted frogs and toads in a Japanese style. 

In the summer of 2018, the 100-Year Frog Collection Museum had an exhibition titled “Froggy art museum” at the lobby gallery of the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. 

Masaru Shibata’s art works were categorized into four areas; “birds and flowers paintings,” “literati paintings,” “pop art” and “caricature”.

Vikki Takayama/Curator of the 100-Year Frog Collection Museum 

About the 100-year frog collection museum

Located in Kitakata city in Fukushima prefecture, the 100-Year Frog Collection Museum is a private museum where frog decorations, ornaments, and art are displayed. People can learn more about the relationship between frogs and humans through displays at our museum in Kitakata city. The museum also holds events all over Japan.