Nobu Arakawa is a director and director of photography based in Tokyo, Japan. Nobu was born in Oita Prefecture in southern Japan before moving to Melbourne, Australia, where he spent four years at university. It was there that his interest in image-making took hold — spending much of his time on the streets with a camera, developing an instinct for observation and the quiet moments between things.
After returning to Asia, Nobu established himself in Tokyo in 2019, working as  director across fashion and documentary. The eye he built shooting on the street carries through all of his work — a closeness to his subjects, and a preference for images that feel lived-in rather than constructed.
His commercial work includes projects for clients such as CHANEL, Boucheron, i-D, Vogue, Issey Miyake and Nike. Alongside his commercial practice, Nobu maintains an active personal body of work. His most recent project, Noyaki, documents the controlled grassland burns held each spring in Aso, Kumamoto — an ancient ritual that shapes one of Japan's most iconic landscapes. For Nobu, moving between personal and commercial work is less a balance than a single practice; each informing the other.

Mobile: +81 80 9520 9936
Email: studio@nobuarakawa.com