These beautiful, colourful 8-bit GIFs by illustrator Toyoi Yuuta depict everyday life in Japan, from bullet trains, vending machines, skyscrapers to the food and the old-and-new architecture. Toyoi, who normally specialises in animation videos, created these gifs using the touchpad on his PC laptop, and has published them under his pseudonym 1041uuu. Most of his work apparently depicts Tokyo or nearby towns, and combine 80s/90s nostalgia with a love for Japan.
For more on the Japanese GIF life, check out his tumblr here.
What is 8 Bit Art?
8 Bit can refer to music and to art, and both are associated with 1980s-early 1990s video games. 8 bit music, also known as the synthesized form of electronic music ‘chiptunes’, is usually made from sound hardware from old video game consoles or systems. Gameboys in particular are quite popular for live chiptunes performers, being portable and easy to use. Chiptunes bands often perform in game-related events like Pax: if you’re curious, check out the yearly PaxAUS in Melbourne (usually in November), Day 2 should have a chiptunes band.
In contrast, 8 bit art, or pixel art, had a resurgence after the site Eightbit.me appeared on the net, which allowed people to create a full body 8 bit avatar in their own image. There are now tutorials online for anyone interested in creating their own 8 Bit contribution to the world from ordinary images.