Takahito Ekusa is a Japanese manga artist and character creator, primarily known as the original creator of the Bincho-tan franchise. He is credited as the author of the Bincho-tan manga, which began serialization in November 2003 and concluded in November 2008, spanning four compiled volumes. The series was initially published by Gakken in Megami Magazine before moving to Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Blade, where it was aimed at a shonen and seinen demographic.

Ekusa's most significant creation is the character Bincho-tan, a mascot character produced by the game goods company Alchemist. The concept is a play on words, as binchotan is a type of charcoal, and the series features moe anthropomorphic representations of different charcoal varieties. The central character is a young girl who lives alone in an old house and wears a piece of charcoal on her head. The franchise expanded into a twelve-episode anime television series directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and produced by Studio Deen, which aired from February to March 2006. A PlayStation 2 simulation game developed by Marvelous Interactive was also released in April 2007. The setting of the anime is Minabe, Wakayama, a region famous for binchotan charcoal production, and the character serves as a mascot for the Kishu-Binchotan Promotion Museum.

Ekusa was personally involved in the production of the independent film Bincho-tan Jishu Seisaku Movie - Aozora ni Wasure Mono, a four-minute music video about the life of Bincho-tan. For this short film, he is credited not only as the original creator but also for providing key animation and background art. His artistic style is noted for its effective composition and a technique of thick painting, though some commentary has observed particular proportions in his character designs.

Beyond the Bincho-tan franchise, Ekusa has contributed illustrations for other series, including cover art for the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna video game and promotional artwork for Umineko no Naku Koro ni, demonstrating a broader range within the manga and game industry. His work is recognized for establishing a commercially successful mascot character that led to a multimedia franchise, including manga, television anime, original video animation, and a video game adaptation.