Yuichi Yazaki

矢崎 裕一 / やざき ゆういち

Data Visualization Specialist | Representative Partner, Notation LLC

I work at the intersection of practice, education, and research, transforming data into forms people can see and understand.

Highlights

Areas of Expertise

What — Reading the structure of data and designing visual representations suited to the intended purpose. Selecting charts, maps, and network diagrams—and explaining the reasoning behind those choices.

For whom — Data, design, and corporate-planning teams; visual journalism teams at news organizations; and government, research, and educational institutions.

How — Design, supervision, and evaluation of dashboards and visualization systems; corporate training; university teaching; writing; and speaking.

Theoretical Approach

I approach data visualization as a design discipline rather than a matter of intuition. My work draws on Bertin’s visual variables, Cleveland and McGill’s research on perceptual accuracy, Mackinlay’s APT, and Wilkinson’s Grammar of Graphics.

Building on these foundations, I have developed two frameworks through professional practice and teaching.

Chart Grammar — A way of understanding charts as layered structures composed of rules for the drawing space and the graphical representation of data. It condenses Wilkinson’s system into four practical elements: visual transformation, spatial transformation, non-data graphics, and scale.

The 5W Classification for Charts — A framework that classifies charts not by task, but by the lens through which data is visualized: quantity, words, time, place, and relationships. This approach includes text, maps, and networks—forms often overlooked by conventional task-centered classifications.

Both frameworks are presented in データ可視化の基本が全部わかる本 and have been used in corporate training and university courses for more than 420 participants.

Books

データ可視化の基本が全部わかる本 (A Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of Data Visualization) Shoeisha, August 2024 / 352 pages / ISBN 978-4-7981-8368-8 Book website

RESASの教科書 (The RESAS Textbook, co-author) Nikkei BP, 2016

Talks and Presentations

2025 2025.12 Data Visualization Japan A Conversation about Data Sketches with Shirley Wu

2023 2023.04 BOOST / PLAY / MEASURE — Bangkok 🌐 Improve Your Skills as a Creator through Data Visualization Organized by Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency and FabCafe Bangkok

2019 2019.09 Global Investigative Journalism Conference 2019 — Germany 🌐 Lightning Round: New Digital Tools — JUDGIT! (co-presented with Yuko Ryu)

2019.06 Eyeo Festival 2019 — Minneapolis 🌐 Open Data Day Logo Generator

2018 2018.03 IxDA Tokyo #3 Community Talk Data Visualization × Open Data

2017 2017.06 Hackers Champloo Engaging with Communities and Society through Data Visualization

2017.03 12th Tokyo NPO × IT Meetup Are More Web Designers Tackling Social Issues? (co-presented with Ryo Nishikawa)

2017.02 World IA Day 2017 Tokyo Data Visualization in the Network Era

2017.01 Tachikawa City Office, 16th Flat Place Tamaniwa Tangible Visualization — What Is Data Visualization?

2016 2016.10 Aomori Tourism App Development Contest Getting Started with Tourism Data Analysis Using RESAS

2016.08 Urban Data Challenge 2016 in Nanto Facilitating Consensus Building through Data Visualization

2015 2015.10 Baltic Design Week “MADE IN JAPAN” — Lithuania 🌐 Generative Design in Japan

2015.10 24th Annual Conference of the Geographic Information Systems Association of Japan, Special Session Data Visualization Today (co-presented with Yoichi Kayama)

2014 2014.11 20th Visualization Conference, Visualization Society of Japan Trends in Web-based Data Visualization

🌐 = International presentation

Complete speaking history on researchmap →

University Teaching

I teach courses across art, information science, and journalism, adapting each course to the context of its department and program.

Corporate Training and Programs for Organizations

I have delivered training for numerous companies and organizations, including data visualization training for 500 NHK employees, five executive-training sessions for 350 participants at Yomiuri Shimbun, and programs for Sony.

Corporate training experience → Journalism and data journalism experience →

Projects and Platforms

Background

After seven years as a user interface designer and art director at Business Architects Inc., I became independent and founded Notation LLC.

I hold a master’s degree in Design Science from the Graduate School of Chiba Institute of Technology. I am the founder of Data Visualization Japan and a Yahoo! News Expert.

ORCID: 0009-0005-2429-3279 researchmap: yuichiyazaki

Work with Me

• Corporate training and in-house workshops, from single sessions to multi-session programs
• Talks and keynote presentations
• Design and supervision of dashboards and visualization systems
• Dashboard reviews and evaluations
• Writing, editorial supervision, and book reviews
• Courses for universities and educational institutions

info@notation.co.jp

Press Kit

The biographies and profile photograph below may be used freely for any purpose, regardless of the license notice displayed on this page.

• Profile photograph
• Biography text below
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Short Bio

Yuichi Yazaki is a data visualization specialist, Representative Partner of Notation LLC, and author of A Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of Data Visualization.

Medium Bio

Yuichi Yazaki is a data visualization specialist and Representative Partner of Notation LLC. After seven years as a UI designer and art director at Business Architects Inc., he became independent. Through corporate training, university teaching, writing, and speaking, he works to advance the practice and wider adoption of data visualization. He is the author of データ可視化の基本が全部わかる本, founder of Data Visualization Japan, and holds a master’s degree in Design Science from Chiba Institute of Technology.

Long Bio

Yuichi Yazaki is a data visualization specialist and Representative Partner of Notation LLC.

After seven years as a user interface designer and art director at Business Architects Inc., he became independent. He specializes in designing ways to transform data into understandable forms, working across dashboard design, information design, corporate training, university education, writing, and public engagement.

His training experience includes programs for news organizations and major corporations, including NHK (500 employees) and Yomiuri Shimbun (five executive-training sessions for 350 participants). He teaches as an adjunct lecturer at Tama Art University, Musashino Art University, Digital Hollywood University Graduate School, Nihon University, Tokyo City University, and Bunkyo University. His extensive speaking experience in Japan and abroad includes presentations in the United States, Germany, Lithuania, and Thailand. Visualizing.JP, which he has operated since 2013, is one of the longest-running Japanese-language sources dedicated to data visualization.

He is the author of データ可視化の基本が全部わかる本 (Shoeisha, 2024) and co-author of RESASの教科書 (Nikkei BP, 2016). He founded Data Visualization Japan, contributes as a Yahoo! News Expert, and holds a master’s degree in Design Science from the Graduate School of Chiba Institute of Technology.