Born into a samurai family in Kagoshima, Satsuma; he was later adopted by his uncle.
He went to France to study law.
Abandoning law, he set out to be a painter and studied under Raphaël Collin.
His painting Reading was accepted at the French Salon.
He returned to Japan and spread a bright, light-filled style of Western painting.
A nude he exhibited at an exposition caused a heated controversy.
He founded the Hakubakai society and became professor of Western painting at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts.
He painted his masterpiece Lakeside.
He became president of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy, leading the art world.
He died in Tokyo.
Okakura Kakuzō (Tenshin)Tsuda UmekoFutabatei ShimeiKawakami OtojirōNatsume SōsekiMasaoka ShikiToyoda SakichiKōda Rohan
People of the Meiji period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.