Takumi Akabane

Pokémon card illustrator

Takumi Akabane (赤羽卓美) is a Japanese game designer and one of the founding creators of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, co-developing it alongside Tsunekazu Ishihara and Kouichi Ooyama at Creatures, Inc. As the TCG's creative director from 2001 to 2008, he oversaw product concepts, game mechanics, and artwork, while personally illustrating numerous special Energy cards spanning the Team Rocket through Stormfront eras (2000–2009). He departed Creatures, Inc. in 2008 and later worked as an instructor at ISIS Editorial School and as creative director on the TCG "Colossus Order."