AbstractIn this paper we discuss the history of Japanese psychology of fine arts and aesthetics across five distinct periods: (a) the first expansion of arts psychology research (1907–1932); (b) children's drawings and Gestalt psychology (approximately 1932–1947); (c) the second expansion of arts psychology research, the psychoanalysis of art and art as a target for Gestalt and social psychology (1948–1967); (d) art therapy and the psychology of aesthetics using the semantic differential method and factor analysis (approximately 1968–1996); and (e) the third expansion of arts psychology research, Kansei and neuroaesthetics (1996–). Japanese arts psychology has been altered by the reformation of the discipline, and by the implementation of new methods and theories from overseas. The research targets, such as traditional arts (calligraphy, rock gardens, etc.) and pop culture (“Kawaii,” “Hello Kitty,” etc.), have appeared as Japanese original contributions to the psychology of the arts.