About
Masaki Nakayama
Buddhist monk and computer-graphics artist. Art, science and Buddhism, held as interchangeable ways of opening a new perspective.
Biography
Born in 1979 in Ichikawa, Chiba, the only son of Ankokuin, a Nichiren Buddhist temple. A programming class at Keio's junior high school and the fractals it revealed led him to study computer science at Keio University, where he researched the rendering of scattered light through his master's degree. He went on to a wide range of CG research — rendering, visualisation, 3D apparel modelling — in the circle of the CG pioneer Yoichiro Kawaguchi and others. In 2014, at 35, he succeeded as the 43rd chief priest of Ankokuin. He reads Buddhism as a rigorous theory of attachment and speaks of art and science as Buddhist philosophy. In 2023 he opened Tachibana Gallery, a café and cultural hall, in the temple grounds; his fractal work Recurrence Flowers has walked the runways of Paris Fashion Week and Anime Expo as couture.
Academic publications list him as Masanori Nakayama.
- Now43rd chief priest, Gyokusenzan Ankokuin (Nichiren Buddhism, Minobu school) — since 2014
- NowCEO, LUXOPHIA LLC — since 2021
- NowChief researcher, Yoichiro Kawaguchi Art & Science Institute Inc. — since 2018
- NowAdjunct lecturer, Wayo Women's University and Kaishi Professional University
- NowPresident, Hair Memorial Society (Mōhatsu Kuyō-kai)
- EducationResearch student, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University (2010–12, 2013–15, 2016–20)
- EducationDoctoral programme, Keio University — completed coursework (2004–2010)
- EducationM.Eng., Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University (2004)
- EducationB.Eng., Department of Information and Computer Science, Keio University (2002)
- EducationKeio Senior High School (1998)
Ordination
On 19 September 2014 the Nichiren-shū certified him as chief priest of Ankokuin, Chiba, with the rank of Junkōshi (associate lecturer). He became the 43rd chief priest of Gyokusenzan Ankokuin in 2014.
Chronology
- 2026.03Profiled in the Yomiuri Shimbun “Hito” column
- 2025.11Lecture series “Buddhism, AI and Mountaineering — You too can be captured by a cult” (Yachiyo)
- 2025.11Officiates the 100th hair memorial service at Ankokuin
- 2025.10Paper “PolySlerp: Spherical Polygon Linear Interpolation”, Journal of the Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, Vol. 54 No. 4
- 2025.08Appears on TV Tokyo's “Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan”
- 2025.06Profiled in the Asahi Shimbun “Hito” column
- 2024.09Interview in Merveille Vol. 001
- 2024.07Recurrence Flowers Kimono Dress on the Anime Expo 2024 runway (with Hiroko Tokumine)
- 2024.03Dress co-created with Hiroko Tokumine shown at Paris Fashion Week (Autumn/Winter 2024–25)
- 2023Opens Tachibana Gallery, a café and cultural hall in the temple grounds
- 2021.11NICOGRAPH 2021 Best Paper Award (“LinDA”)
- 2021.04Becomes CEO of LUXOPHIA LLC
- 2018.12Chief researcher, Yoichiro Kawaguchi Art & Science Institute
- 2017.08Grand Prize, Asian Digital Modeling Contest 2017 — work “Duality”
- 2017.06Utility model registration: spherical image display device (with Goto Optical)
- 2016.04Research student at Keio University graduate school (to 2020)
- 2015.10Best Paper Award (First Prize), Cyberworlds 2015 (“SeeGroove”)
- 2014Becomes the 43rd chief priest of Gyokusenzan Ankokuin
- 2013.04Research student at Keio University graduate school (to 2015)
- 2013.03Design registration: module for image display equipment (with Goto Optical)
- 2010.04Research student at Keio University graduate school (to 2012)
- 2010.03Completes coursework of the doctoral programme, Keio University
- 2004.04Enters the doctoral programme, Keio University
- 2004.03M.Eng., Keio University — thesis “Rendering of complex scattered light in participating media”
- 2002.03B.Eng., Keio University — thesis “Atmospheric scattering simulation based on particle shapes”
- 2001.09Contributes works to the book “Magical Eye” (Takarajimasha)
- 1998.04Enters Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology
- 1998.03Graduates from Keio Senior High School
- Junior highMeets programming (LOGO) in a class at Keio's junior high school and is captivated by fractals
- 1979Born in Ichikawa, Chiba — the only son of Ankokuin temple