Yukino Ikeshiro (pokke104)
Illustrator from Okinawa. Based in Okinawa and Tokyo, she is active throughout Japan and is also a tourism ambassador for Zamami Village. She has been a speaker at TEDxRyukyu, and has held workshops on Amami and Iriomotejima Island in conjunction with their World Natural Heritage site registration. Her work includes murals, live painting, and educational programs on marine life and the natural environment.

Official Site：https://pokke104.com/
Instagram：Yukino Ikeshiro a.k.a pokke104 (@pokke104)

“I’ve always loved the ocean and went to the islands every holiday, but I went diving off Zamami Island for the first time when I was 20 years old to get my diving license.”

Born in Okinawa City, Yukino Ikeshiro’s eyes light up as she speaks.

“Surrounded by this world of multicolored corals, I caught sight of a beautiful blue damselfish, and I thought to myself, ‘What a wonderful place I have grown up in!’ In that moment, the scenery of Okinawa, which I had taken for granted until then, changed completely for me. And I completely fell in love with it.”

Ever since, she has been fascinated not only by the glittering ocean, but also the mountains, the life, the culture of the people, the language, the food, and everything else that the islands of Okinawa have to offer.

“Okinawa is also interesting on land. You can find such dynamic sights as places where the roots of wild plants intertangle, and where Chinese banyan trees bursting with life have forced their way up through concrete. And then there’s the history and culture that this environment has nurtured! It’s these kinds of uniquely Okinawan relationships overflowing with life that I try to depict.”

Ikeshiro goes by the artist name “pokke104.” Making use of Japanese number-based wordplay, it loosely means “put it in your pocket,” and expresses Ikeshiro’s desire to take what she sees, store and treasure it in the “pocket” of her heart, and share it with the world as art.

Ikeshiro tells us through laughter that she will be standing somewhere on the islands and see something she hasn’t drawn before, and then something else, and then yet another, with more and more characters appearing in her drawing until her pen can no longer keep up. Her eyes sparkle with this curiosity and respect for the silent residents of the islands she encounters. The rich ecosystem of Okinawa is truly a never-ending source of inspiration for Ikeshiro.

Ikeshiro says, “Communicating with many people through my art is a very important aspect of my life’s work.” In her explorations of Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island, Ikeshiro says she naturally made more and more friends and eventually began holding workshops.　

Signboards on the islands are often blown away by typhoons, so Ikeshiro conducts workshops in which all of the participants work together to recreate such signs. She also paints murals and holds live painting events. In 2021, nearly 20 years after she began contributing to the community through art, Ikeshiro’s activities underwent a new development.

“Okinawa and Amami were registered as a World Natural Heritage site. To commemorate this event, the NHK television show Darwin’s Amazing Animals ran a special program on environmental protection in Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, Iriomotejima, and Yanbaru (in northern Okinawa). As part of this, I organized a workshop with local rangers and guides to make ‘Watch for animals’ signs and stickers to prevent island creatures from being hit and killed by cars.”

Island wildlife such as the Amami rabbit are often hit by cars when they run out into the street to find food. Ikeshiro’s workshop, therefore, focused on what island animals eat. The emphasis was on communicating their ecology in a fun way while considering ways to coexist.

When asked about the best part of these workshops, Ikeshiro replies, “Getting to know local people!”

“One thing I still remember is the time I painted a mural of bull wrestling on Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands. When the painting was finished and I was leaving the island, local children blew bull wrestling bugles for dozens of minutes to see me off. Working on the islands, there have been so many times where I’ve enjoyed these heartwarming relationships with local residents.”

Ikeshiro says she experiences these bonds overseas as well.

“I also hold workshops overseas in places like Taiwan and London, and people from Okinawa who live there and people who love Okinawa often come to support me. This is true not only overseas but also in Japan. Doors to whole new worlds I never even knew about have opened up for me through the connections I have made with people based on our shared love of Okinawa.”

Lastly, we asked Ikeshiro about the best ways to enjoy Okinawa and Amami. “There are so many, but I guess I would have to recommend touring with a local guide,” she told us with a smile.

“What’s really fun is how each guide has a distinctive style, and the stories they casually share with you will be completely different. People say that Okinawa doesn’t have four seasons, but in fact, the local plants and animals tell us about the changing of the seasons. In winter, humpback whales return, and in autumn, butterflies called chestnut tigers fly to the islands from across the sea. I am interested in all living things, so I love to walk around with a guide who is an expert on various creatures and listen to their stories! The more I learn about new things, the more things that interest me appear one after another. The fun and excitement are endless!” On the other hand, the island is also home to dangerous creatures such as the venomous Okinawa habu, so having an expert who knows the area inside and out is invaluable, she says.

Born among islands bursting with dynamic natural environments and home to many living creatures, Ikeshiro has continued to share the appeals of the islands with others through her art. Just as an encounter with the beautiful blue damselfish awakened her love for her birthplace, the life that Ikeshiro depicts in her works may plant the seeds of new passion in someone else’s heart.

Living with Coral (by Ikuo Nakamura)
This “photo picture book” by underwater photographer Ikuo Nakamura depicts the ecology of coral using a crab as the main character. “I was thrilled to the point of goose bumps seeing how ocean creatures live in symbiosis with the coral. I also love the fact that it is explained in a way that is easy for children to understand,” says Ikeshiro.

Yanbaru the World Natural Heritage Site: Northern Okinawa Island, A Treasure Trove of Rare Species (by Kazuo Minato and Takahisa Miyatake)
In this book, a photographer and a biologist team up to introduce endemic species living in the subtropical rainforests of Yanbaru, located in the north central part of the main island of Okinawa. “People mostly think of the sea when they think of Okinawa, but this book covers the entirety of Okinawa’s unique and rich worldview, including its culture and mountains. A must-read.”

Mother Islands (by Choji Nakahodo)
A collection of photographs by a photographer for Momoto, a culture magazine that seeks to create connections between ages and generations of Ryukyu and Okinawa. This book looks at and revels in the hidden beauty of the island scenery. “This is a wonderful book, not only in terms of the beauty of the photographs, but also in terms of the words written inside and even the paper used. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it.”

*This article was written in November 2025.