Born in 1959 in Aomori Prefecture. He lives in Tochigi Prefecture.

The composition of a child standing alone in the middle of the picture, which could be called a distinguishing characteristic of Nara's paintings, first appeared in around 1991. While mention is often made of the influence of things like manga and anime, one could say that the spiritual roots of Nara's artwork lie in the pictures for children produced by Takeshi Motai (1908-1956) and other picture book authors of the early Showa period. Also, to the extent that he seeks to render in a simple fashion images that reach into the depths of spirituality and emotions, Nara's artwork has similarities not only with pictures for children but also with religious art such as the statue of Kichijoten (Joruri-ji temple) and Giotto's frescoes (works to which Nara himself has made reference).