This is a list of Japanese artists. This list is intended to encompass Japanese who are primarily fine artists. For information on those who work primarily in film, television, advertising, manga, anime, video games, or performance arts, please see the relevant respective articles.
Heian and Kamakura periods Name Life Comments Reference Kose Kanaoka 9th centuryPainter of landscapes, court and buddhist paintings, proponent of Yamato-e styles and methods Fujiwara Takanobu 1142–1205Nise-e Painter Fujiwara Nobuzane 1176–1265Nise-e Painter, son of Fujiwara Takanobu
Sculptors Name Life Comments Reference Tori Busshi late 6th to early 7th centuries Busshi, patron sculptor to Shōtoku Taishi and Soga no Umako Jōchō d. 1057 Busshi; popularized yosegi technique of carving one figure from many pieces of wood Kaikei mid-to-late 12th century Busshi founder of the Kei school Jōkei late 12th century Busshi of the Kei school Unkei 1151–1223 Busshi of the Kei school Tankei 1173–1256 Busshi of the Kei school Kōkei active 1175–1200 Busshi head of the Kei school during reconstruction of Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji Hidari Jingorō active 1596–1644 Painter, sculptor and carver, his works include many of the carvings at Nikkō Tōshō-gū Enkū 1632–1695 Buddhist monk and Busshi sculptor Gechu active 18th century Sculptor Naitō Toyomasa 1773–1856 Sculptor of netsuke Tetsuya Noguchi Born 1980 Sculptor Chie Aoki Born 1981 Sculptor
Pottery and ceramics Name Life Comments Reference Hamada Shōji 1894–1978 Potter, declared a Living National Treasure in 1955 Kimiyo Mishima 1932–2024 Ceramic artistSeiko Kato Behr1941–2010Japanese-born American potter, ceramicist, ikebana flower artist, installation artist, and sculptor Jun Kaneko Born 1942 Potter and ceramics artist Masaya Imanishi Born 1947 Ceramic artistYukio OzakiBorn 1948Japanese-born ceramic artist, wood sculptor, teacher in Hawaii Yo Akiyama Born 1953 Ceramic artist of the Sōdeisha movement
Sumi-e (ink painting) Name Life Comments Reference Josetsu 1405–1423 Suiboku painter, likely a teacher of Tenshō Shūbun Tenshō Shūbun 1414–1463 Sumi-e painter Sesshū Tōyō 1420–1506Associated with Sumi-eShingei 1431–1485 Also known as Geiami, yamato-e ink painterSoami d. 1525 Painter and landscape artist; one of the first nanga paintersYosa Buson 1716–1784 Painter who perfected the nanga style, also a renowned poetIke no Taiga 1723–1776 Painter who perfected the nanga styleKoho Yamamoto 1922– Student of Chiura Obata
Kanō School
Name Life Comments Reference Kanō Masanobu 1434–1530 Founder of the Kanō School, chief painter to Ashikaga shogunate during his time Kanō Motonobu 1476–1559 Painter of the Kanō School, son of Kanō MasanobuKanō Eitoku 1543–1590 Painter, re-founder of the Kanō schoolKanō Mitsunobu d. 1608 Son of Eitoku, inherited Kanō school after his father's deathKanō Tan'yū 1602–1674 Prominent Kanō school painter, official painter to the Tokugawa shogunateKanō Hōgai 1828–1888 Among the last of the Kanō school painters, incorporated Western stylistic elements Hashimoto Gahō 1835–1908 Among the last of the Kanō school painters, chief professor of painting at two schools
Rimpa School Name Life Comments ReferenceHon'ami Kōetsu 1558–1637 Painter, co-founder of the Rimpa schoolTawaraya Sōtatsu d. 1643 Painter, co-founder of the Rimpa school Ogata Kōrin 1657–1716 Painter and lacquerer, major figure in the Rimpa school Ogata Kenzan 1663–1743 Painter and potter, major figure in the Rimpa school Sakai Hōitsu 1761–1828 Painter, associated with the Rimpa school Kamisaka Sekka 1866–1942 The most recent painting master of the Rimpa school and craftsman
Tosa School Name Life Comments ReferenceIwasa Matabei 1578–1650 Tosa school painter of genre and historical scenes, predecessor to ukiyo-e
Kyoto School Name Life Comments ReferenceTomioka Tessai 1836–1924 Painter and calligrapher of the Kyoto School Maruyama Ōkyo 1733–1795 Sumi-e painter, founder of Shijō school Kikuchi Yōsai 1781–1878 Painter of the Kyoto, Shijō, and Maruyama schools
Nihonga Painters
Name Life Comments Reference Yokoyama Taikan 1868–1958 Painter Okuda Gensou 1912–2003 Nihonga painter of the Shōwa era, gave his name to 'Gensou red' pigment Goto Jin Born 1968 Nihonga painter of the Heisei era.Human Beauty paintings.Fuyuko Matsui Born 1974 Contemporary Nihonga painter living in Tokyo.
Eccentrics and smaller schools Name Life Comments Reference Ogura Yonesuke Itoh 1870–1940 Japanese born painter of Hawaii's Volcano School Otagaki Rengetsu 1791–1851 Calligrapher and poet Hasegawa Settan d. 1843 Painter of the Hasegawa school, ukiyo-e printmaker, and sculptorHasegawa Tohaku 1539–1610 Ink painter, founder of the Hasegawa school Shibata Zeshin 1807–1891 Painter trained in the Kyoto School, master craftsman and innovator, particularly in lacquer Eijiro Miyama Born 1934 Outsider artist known as the "Hat Man"
Ukiyo-e painters and printmakers Name Life Comments ReferenceHishikawa Moronobu 1618–1694 "Father of ukiyo-e Torii Kiyonobu I 1664–1729 Printmaker Sukenobu 1682–1752 Ukiyo-e painter, Miyagawa school Miyagawa Shunsui fl. –60s Ukiyo-e painter, son and student of Miyagawa Chōshun Miyagawa Isshō mid-18th century Painter, student of Miyagawa Chōshun Okumura Masanobu 1686–1764 Printmaker, Torii school initially Toriyama Sekien 1712–1788 Printmaker, teacher of Utamaro Suzuki Harunobu 1724–1770 Printmaker Katsukawa Shunshō 1726–1792 Printmaker, leading figure in the Katsukawa school Sharaku d. 1801 One of the greatest and most mysterious ukiyo-e printmakers; career spanned only ten months Kitao Shigemasa 1739–1820 Printmaker-Founder of Kitao school of ukiyo-e Torii Kiyonaga 1752–1815 Printmaker, Fourth titular head of the Torii school Utamaro 1753–1806 Printmaker, painter Koryusai 1735–1790 Printmaker Hokusai 1760–1849 Ukiyo-e painter, woodblock print artist, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji Toyokuni 1769–1825 Printmaker, associated with the Utagawa school Utagawa Kunimasa 1773–1810 Printmaker Toyohiro 1773–1828 Printmaker and painter of the Utagawa school, teacher of Hiroshige Kawahara Keiga 1786–1860? Painter on paper, silk and wood at Dejima, Nagasaki and on travels through Japan. Biological depictions of flowers and animals for Philipp Franz von Siebold, scenes with persons in- and outdoors, and at the court of Edo Hiroshige 1797–1858 Ukiyo-e painter and woodblock print artist, Sixty-nine Stations on the Kiso Kaidō, Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and 100 Famous Views of Edo Konishi Hirosada 1810–1864 Printmaker of the Osaka school Utagawa Kunisada II 1823–1880 Printmaker of the Utagawa school Hokuei d. 1837 Printmaker Kunimasu Unknown Printmaker Kawanabe Kyosai 1831–1889 Student of Kuniyoshi, first Japanese political cartoonist Toyohara Kunichika 1835–1900 Printmaker known for actor prints Yoshitoshi 1839–1892 Printmaker, one of the last great masters of ukiyo-e
Modern artists