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Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) was a poet and Nihonga painter, originally from Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture.

Completely self taught, Takehisa did not attend art school and considered himself a craftsman first and an artist second.

Takehisa drew designs for magazines, books, clothing and household objects and he is considered one of the pioneers of modern graphic design in Japan.

His designs for kimono and yukata are now considered classics of traditional Japanese styling.

There are a number of museums dedicated to Yumeiji Takehisa's art including the Yumeji Art Museum (???????) in Okayama, the Takehisa Yumeji Museum (???????) in Tokyo, the Kanazawa Yuwaku Yumejikan Museum (???????) in Kanazawa and the Takehisa Yumeji Ikaho Kinenkan (??????????) in Gunma.
Takehisa had a rather fraught private life with a wife who he divorced after only a few years together and a number of lovers, none of whom settled down with him. His wife Tamaki and two of his lovers Hikono and Oyo were considered his muses and are often the subjects of his paintings.

A few years before his death, the artist spent a year on the west coast of the USA before sailing to Europe where he sketched and sought inspiration in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.

Takehisa died of tuberculosis at the young age of 49 and is buried in Zoshigaya Cemetery in Tokyo.

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