Eiji Mitooka

Eiji Mitooka (水戸岡 鋭治, Mitooka Eiji; born 5 July 1947 in Okayama Prefecture) is a Japanese industrial designer, illustrator, and managing director of the industrial design company Don Design Associates (ドーンデザイン研究所). He also works as a design consultant for Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).^[1]

Eiji Mitooka
水戸岡 鋭治
Eiji Mitooka at the tape-cutting ceremony for Fujisan Station in July 2011
Born	(1947-07-05) 5 July 1947 (age 78) Okayama Prefecture
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Managing director of Don Design Associates
Known for	Industrial design

Biography

Mitooka graduated from Okayama Technical High School in 1965.^[1]

After graduating from high school, Mitooka worked at Studio Silvo Coppola in Italy before founding Don Design Associates in 1972.^[1] The company oversees design projects for buildings, interiors, railway vehicles, graphics, and products.^[1]

In October 2011, Mitooka was awarded the 59th Kikuchi Kan Prize, presented annually by Bungei Shunju literary magazine and the Society for the Advancement of Japanese Culture.^[2]

Projects

JR Kyushu projects

Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series, 2004

• Kagoshima-Chuo Station (formerly Nishi-Kagoshima Station) building^[1]
• Kumamoto Station building^[1]
• 787 series Tsubame electric multiple unit, 1993 Blue Ribbon Award winner^[1]
• 883 series Sonic electric multiple unit, 1996 Blue Ribbon Award winner^[1]
• Yufuin no Mori II KiHa 72 diesel multiple unit train, 1999^[3]
• 885 series Kamome electric multiple unit, 2001 Blue Ribbon Award winner^[1]
• Yufuin no Mori I KiHa 70 series diesel multiple unit train refurbishment, 2003^[3]
• Yufu DX KiHa 183 series diesel multiple unit train refurbishment, 2004^[3]
• Hayato no Kaze KiHa 47 series diesel multiple unit train refurbishment, 2004^[3]
• Trans-Kyushu Limited Express KiHa 185 series diesel multiple unit train refurbishment, 2004^[3]
• 800 Series Shinkansen, 2005 Laurel Prize winner^[1]
• KiHa 125-400 series Umisachi Yamasachi train (in service from 10 October 2009)^[4]
• Ibusuki no Tamatebako diesel multiple unit train (in service from 2011)^[5]
• KiHa 185 series A-Train (in service from 8 October 2011)^[4]
• Seven Stars in Kyushu luxury excursion train (in service from October 2013)^[6]
• 305 series EMU commuter trains for the Chikuhi Line (in service from February 2015)^[7]
• Aru Ressha luxury excursion train (in service from August 2015)^[8]
• BEC819 series battery EMU trains for the Fukuhoku Yutaka Line and Chikuhō Main Line (in service from October 2016)^[9]
• Kawasemi Yamasemi two-car diesel multiple unit tourist train conversion (in service from spring 2017)^[10]
• 811 series EMU refurbishment from 2017^[11]

• 
  A JR Kyushu 787 series EDMU in April 2011
• 
  A JR Kyushu 883 series EMU in March 2010
• 
  Yufuin no Mori II DMU in August 2008
• 
  885 series EMU in August 2010
• 
  Yufuin no Mori I DMU in August 2006
• 
  Hayato no Kaze DMU
• 
  Trans-Kyushu Limited Express KiHa 185 series DMU in September 2010
• 
  KiHa 125-400 series Umisachi Yamasachi train in June 2010
• 
  The KiHa 47 Ibusuki no Tamatebako train in August 2012
• 
  KiHa 185 series A-Train, October 2011
• 
  Seven Stars in Kyushu in November 2013
• 
  A JR Kyushu 305 series EMU in January 2016
• 
  The JR Kyushu KiHa 40 Aru Ressha trainset in October 2015
• 
  The JR Kyushu BEC819 series battery EMU train in June 2016

Fujikyu projects

• Fujikyu 1200 series Fuji Tozan Densha train refurbishment, 2009^[12]
• Fujikyuko Line Shimoyoshida Station renovation, 2009^[13]
• Fujikyuko Line Fujisan Station renovation, 2011^[14]
• Fujikyu 6000 series electric multiple unit (in service from February 2012)^[15]
• Fujikyu 8500 series Fujisan View Express train refurbishment, entering service in April 2016^[16]

• 
  Fujikyu 1200 series Fuji Tozan Densha EMU in October 2010
• 
  Renovated Shimoyoshida Station on the Fujikyuko Line in August 2009
• 
  A Fujikyu 6000 series electric multiple unit
• 
  The Fujikyu 8500 series electric multiple unit train in June 2016

Other railway projects

• Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line train refurbishment (from March 2006)^[17]
• Okayama Electric Tramway Momo tramcar^[1]
• Hisatsu Orange Railway Orange Restaurant Express tourist train (in service from March 2013)^[18]
• Kitakinki Tango Railway: Refurbishment of two KTR700 diesel cars (Akamatsu and Aomatsu) re-entering service from March 2013, at a cost of approximately 40 million yen^[19]
• Kumagawa Railroad Yunomae Line: Five diesel cars to be delivered in fiscal 2013 and 2014^[20]
• JR Shikoku Shiman Torocco (しまんトロッコ) train refurbishment, returning to service from 5 October 2013^[21]
• Kitakinki Tango Railway: Refurbishment of KTR800 diesel car KTR803, re-entering service from 1 November 2013^[22]
• Shinano Railway: 115 series Rokumon tourist train conversion^[23]
• Kyoto Tango Railway: Rebuilding two two-car KTR8000 Tango Discovery DMU sets to be renamed Tango no Umi during fiscal 2015^[24]
• Nagaragawa Railway: Rebuilding two Nagara 300 series diesel cars to become the Nagara sightseeing train, entering service in spring 2016^[25]
• Izukyu Corporation: Rebuilding of Alpha Resort 21 train to become The Royal Express sightseeing train, entering service in summer 2017^[26]
• Coto Coto Train: touristic train service run by the Heisei Chikuhō Railway Company in the Fukuoka Prefecture, opened in 2019.^[27]

• 
  "Ichigo Electric Car" on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line, 2006
• 
  Okayama Tramway 9200 series "Momo" tramcar
• 
  The Hisatsu Orange Railway Orange Restaurant Express tourist train in July 2013
• 
  Kitakinki Tango Railway diesel car 708, Aomatsu, April 2013
• 
  Kumagawa Railroad diesel cars KT501 to KT503 in December 2014
• 
  JR Shikoku Shiman Torocco, October 2013
• 
  Shinano Railway Rokumon 115 series EMU in February 2015
• 
  Kyoto Tango Railway KTR8000 Tango no Umi DMU in October 2016
• 
  Coto Coto Train of the Heisei Chikuhō Railway Company, 2019

Exhibitions

• Eiji Mitooka Great Railway Era Exhibition: From Ekiben to Shinkansen (水戸岡鋭治の大鉄道時代展　駅弁から新幹線まで) Axis Gallery, Tokyo, 8–23 October 2011^[28]
• Eiji Mitooka Railway Design Exhibition: From Ekiben to Shinkansen (水戸岡鋭治の鉄道デザイン展　駅弁から新幹線まで) Art Tower Mito Contemporary Gallery, 7 July - 30 September 2012^[29]

Bibliography

• Mitooka, Eiji (September 1987). Perfect Presentation: Illustration + Perspective in Pantone Colors. Graphic-sha. p. 160. ISBN 4-7661-0435-8.

• Mitooka, Eiji (1985). Airbrushing in rendering. Van Nostrand Reinhold. p. 133. ISBN 978-0442260828.
• Mitooka, Eiji (21 December 2004). ぼくは「つばめ」のデザイナー―九州新幹線800系誕生物語 [Tsubame 800 Kyushu Shinkansen Design Story]. Kodansha. p. 155. ISBN 978-4062125321.
• Mitooka, Eiji (6 June 2007). 旅するデザイン 鉄道でめぐる九州 水戸岡鋭治のデザイン画集 [Around The Kyushu]. Shogakukan. p. 145. ISBN 978-4096820124.
• Mitooka, Eiji (1 August 2009). 水戸岡鋭治の「正しい」鉄道デザイン―私はなぜ九州新幹線に金箔を貼ったのか? [Eiji Mitooka's "Correct" Railway Design - Why I Applied Gold Leaf to the Kyushu Shinkansen]. Kotsu Shimbunsha. p. 198. ISBN 978-4330087092.
• Mitooka, Eiji (11 December 2009). 電車のデザイン [Railway Vehicle Design]. Chuokoron Shinsha. p. 205. ISBN 978-4121503367.