Tomoko Hyatt poses with U.S. Forces Japan road tax stickers that feature her artwork, at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, May 9, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Tomoko Hyatt has no formal art training, but her designs are in high demand across Japan, displayed by tens of thousands of people and growing in popularity.
Hyatt, a civilian employee at this U.S. airlift hub in western Tokyo, creates the colorful sticker that anyone under the status of forces agreement must display each spring on their personal vehicle to prove they have paid the annual Japanese road tax.
“I’ve always admired art and artists,” she told Stars and Stripes this month via Messenger. “My mother once enrolled me in a drawing class when I was 6, not because I showed talent, but to get me to sit still for more than 30 minutes.”
Tomoko Hyatt has been designing annual road tax stickers for U.S. Forces Japan since 2018. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
As forms manager for the 374th Communications Squadron, Hyatt is responsible for procuring the annual road tax sticker — an adhesive disc with a holographic print, displayed on windshields and motorcycles.
“Some people might remember that the stickers used to have the same crane pattern, just in different colors each year,” she said.
In 2018, she began designing the sticker herself, starting with a fresh take on the traditional crane motif. The following year, she drew inspiration from Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne.
“I wanted to mark the occasion by redesigning the road tax decal, making it more meaningful for the U.S. Forces Japan community,” she said.
Her designs have since gained popularity, each year reflecting traditional themes such as dragons, tigers and cherry blossoms. This year’s sticker features a serpent, inspired by the current Chinese year of the snake. Mount Fuji and a torii gate also make an appearance.
“I design dozens of options annually, and only one is selected,” she said. “It’s a long but rewarding process.”
Hyatt said she submits between 10 and 20 designs to her squadron for consideration. Her command trims the selections and sends them to the USFJ Provost Marshal’s Office for final input before finalizing the design. The decals are displayed on vehicles at U.S. bases across Japan.
Despite her lack of formal training, Hyatt taught herself the craft.
“I’m mostly self-taught,” she said.
Her husband, Matthew Hyatt, a meteorological technician with the 374th Operations Support Squadron, has a background in graphic design and introduced her to Adobe Illustrator.
Her work has sparked a following. She recently launched a Facebook page — Tomoko’s Tokyo Treasures — where she sells items featuring her designs, including patches, ceramic ornaments and stickers.
“The artist is INSANELY talented,” Chelsea Morrison, a contractor’s spouse at Yokota, wrote April 27 on the unofficial Yokota Community Facebook page.
“I’m pretty excited to see that Tomoko is opening up orders for patches, not only for this year’s designs, but the last few years,” Morrison told Stars and Stripes in a recent email. “I’ve been very impressed with the designs, I collect patches, I put them on the roof of my car and I’m so excited to add some from her.”
Tomoko Hyatt poses with U.S. Forces Japan road tax stickers that feature her artwork, at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, May 9, 2025. (Joshua L. DeMotts/Stars and Stripes)
Hyatt said her work had been pirated by individuals who used her designs on collectible coins without her permission. She reported the infringement to Yokota’s legal office after consulting her command.
Despite that setback, her audience continues to grow. More than 200 people from Yokota and other bases have contacted her about purchasing merchandise featuring her work. Nile C. Kinnick High School on Yokosuka Naval Base is one her main customers, she said.
“People have encouraged me to pursue my art, and I’ve expanded into designing ornaments, coasters, bags and apparel,” she said. “It’s always a thrill to spot my designs out in Tokyo.”
