2004
Final Fantasy XI & Arms and Armour
In 2004, Arita's historical-reference publishing work led directly to Final Fantasy XI. Kenichi Iwao encountered his armour and military illustrations and commissioned him to depict Vana'diel, beginning a collaboration that lasted for more than a decade. The large reference volume 武器甲冑図鑑 also documented Arita's extensive work on historical warriors, weapons and armour.
Career Archive
Timeline Events
Kenichi Iwao, one of the principal creators of Vana'diel's setting, discovered Arita's historical weapon-and-armour illustrations through Shinkigensha material.
Iwao contacted Arita and invited him to create illustrations for Final Fantasy XI.
This established Arita's professional relationship with Square Enix and began his long-running visual contribution to Vana'diel.
September — 武器甲冑図鑑 (Buki Katchū Zukan / Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons and Armour) was published by Shinkigensha; ISBN 9784775302750, 447 pages.
The book credits Sadaharu Ichikawa as author and Mitsuhiro Arita, Hiroyuki Suwahara and Takako Fukuchi as illustrators.
The volume covers approximately 5,000 years of warriors and military equipment and contains roughly 500 reconstructed figures.
Arita's Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children Card Game contribution continued into 2004.