Japanese Art – 10 Important Japanese Artists and Artworks

Japanese art spans prehistoric ceramics, Buddhist sculpture, courtly painting and calligraphy, ink landscapes, screens, lacquer, textiles, tea wares, woodblock prints, photography, design, and contemporary practice. Its histories were shaped by sustained exchange with Korea, China, Europe, and the wider world as well as by regional workshops and changing patrons within Japan. The ten artists below form a selective route through painting and prints, not a definitive ranking of a far larger field. 

A History of Art in Japan

Japanese art history is plural rather than a sequence of isolated national inventions. During the Heian period (794–1185), the term yamato-e came to distinguish paintings of Japanese subjects from Chinese-style kara-e. Court literature, seasonal imagery, narrative handscrolls, architecture, and decorative color were important, even as materials and pictorial ideas continued to circulate through East Asia. 

The Kamakura period brought powerful new Buddhist institutions and sculptural realism, while monochrome ink painting expanded especially in the Muromachi period through Zen networks and models imported from China. Sumi-e or suibokuga uses gradations of ink, brush texture, blank paper, and abbreviated forms, but it is not synonymous with all “Zen painting” and it was never limited to minimal strokes. 

In the Edo period, established woodblock technologies supported an expanding commercial print culture. Ukiyo-e—“pictures of the floating world”—included single-sheet prints and illustrated books depicting actors, courtesans, urban entertainments, landscapes, famous places, and more. Full-color nishiki-e printing developed in the eighteenth century; woodblock printing itself was centuries older. Artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai later transformed landscape printmaking and helped shape European Japonisme. 

Japanese calligraphy, or shodō, encompasses Chinese characters (kanji), syllabic scripts such as kana, poetry, religious writing, correspondence, and modern abstraction. It cannot be reduced to Zen mindfulness. Sengai Gibon was a Zen monk known for ink painting and calligraphy; the martial artist Takeda Sōkaku is not a standard founder of modern calligraphic style, for which figures such as Hidai Tenrai provide a more relevant reference. 

Raku tea wares developed in sixteenth-century Kyoto through collaboration among potters, tea practitioners, patrons, and workshops. Chanoyu or chadō also evolved over centuries, bringing ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, bamboo, architecture, gardens, food, and performance into a structured encounter. In the modern period, artists negotiated both imported and local frameworks; the Gutai Art Association, founded in 1954, made matter, action, outdoor display, and experimental materials central to postwar practice. Hiroshi Yoshida helped develop shin-hanga, while Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Yoshitomo Nara, and many others shaped global contemporary art. 

10 Famous Japanese Artists and Artworks

The influence of Japanese art on the global art scene is undoubtedly immense and has inspired many artists from different cultures and periods to embrace the philosophies and techniques rooted in its culture. One can certainly admire the ability of Japanese art to embody tradition and embrace innovation, which led to many complex creations. Below, we will dive into a selection of the most famous and impactful Japanese artists in history while reviewing their best works to gain a full picture of the trajectory of Japanese art and its influence. 

Tenshō Shūbun (active c. 1414–1463)

Little is securely known about Tenshō Shūbun’s birth and death. The Zen monk-painter was active in Kyoto in the first half of the fifteenth century and is associated with Shōkoku-ji and the shogunal painting bureau. He was important to the development of Japanese monochrome ink landscape, but calling him its sole father overlooks earlier painters, imported Chinese works, and workshop networks.

No. 6. Riding the Bull Home (c. 15th century) by Tenshō Shūbun. This is one of a series of ten images, generally known in English as the Ox-herding (or Bull-herding) pictures, by the 15th century Japanese Rinzai Zen monk Shūbun. They are said to be copies of originals, now lost, traditionally attributed to Kakuan, a 12th century Chinese Zen Master; Tenshō Shūbun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Shūbun’s circle studied Chinese masters such as Ma Yuan and Xia Gui and helped naturalize ink-landscape formats in fifteenth-century Japan. Later traditions connected him with Kanō Masanobu and Sesshū Tōyō. The National Treasure Reading in a Bamboo Grove is traditionally attributed to Shūbun, but its authorship should be stated as an attribution rather than an unquestioned signature.

Reading in a Bamboo Grove (1446)

Reflective of earlier works by the Southern Song Chinese painters, this early example of ancient Japanese art depicts a landscape and poetry painted onto the surface of a scroll. It was owned by a Zen monk from a temple in Kyoto but was said to be created by Shūbun, another monk from a temple in Shôkoku-Ji.

Painting detail of Reading in a Bamboo Grove (1446) by Tenshō Shūbun. Full scroll: 134.8 x 33.3 cm; Tenshō Shūbun, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Multiple Zen monks added a preface and poems to the scroll. Their inscriptions help date and contextualize the work, while the painting’s attribution to Shūbun remains traditional rather than securely signed.

As such, this painting has been passed down the generations in the Myôchi-in Temple in Kyoto as a Shūbun original.

Sesshū Tōyō (1420 – 1506)

Sesshū Tōyō was one of the few traditional Japanese artists from the Muromachi period, who was highly respected, not only in Japan, but also in China. This was due to the influence of art from the Chinese Song Dynasty on his work, which he infused with his own Japanese style. Tōyō was considered the most influential artist who pioneered Japanese ink wash painting, which was founded by Tenshō Shūbun, his master who taught him Japanese art styles such as Sumi-e.

Portrait of Sesshū Tōyō, c. 16th century; 不詳 unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tōyō took the traditional style of his master Shūbun and gave it a distinct Japanese character by incorporating areas with flatter dimensional space, thicker lines, and greater contrast between shadow and light. Tōyō was considered by his peers, as well as historians, to be the greatest painter in Japan.

Long Landscape Scroll (Sansui Chōkan) (1486)

Sesshū’s Long Landscape Scroll (Sansui Chōkan) is a major National Treasure of Japanese ink painting. The approximately 15-meter handscroll moves through seasonal landscapes from spring toward winter, varying brushwork, density, and spatial rhythm as it unfolds.

The Chinese influence can be seen in both the style and theme of the composition, yet Tōyō brought a Japanese character to this artwork, setting it apart from the art of the Chinese Dynasty.

LEFT: Landscape of the Four Seasons, Winter (15th century) by Sesshū Tōyō; Sesshū Tōyō, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | RIGHT: Landscape of the Four Seasons, Summer (15th century) by Sesshū Tōyō; Sesshū Tōyō, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tōyō also painted other Japanese art styles and subjects, as seen in his Japanese drawings of Buddha and other Zen-influenced paintings. However, it is the Landscape of the Four Seasons that most defines his style and led to Tōyō’s status as a master of traditional Japanese art.

LEFT: Landscape of the Four Seasons, Autumn (15th century) by Sesshū Tōyō; Sesshū Tōyō, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | RIGHT: Landscape of the Four Seasons, Spring (15th century) by Sesshū Tōyō; Sesshū Tōyō, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539 – 1610)

Hasegawa Tōhaku was born in 1539 in the town of Nanao, Japan. He started his career as an artist by painting pictures of Buddha in his hometown and became successful enough to be a professional painter by his twenties. By his mid-30s, he had moved to Kyoto to study further at the highly respected Kanō school. Many of Tōhaku’s early works are in the style taught by this school.

After his studies at the Kanō school, Hasegawa Tōhaku began to develop his unique style of “Sumi-e” painting, which mimicked the styles of his minimalist predecessors.

Hasegawa Tōhaku was considered the fifth successor of the master Sesshū Tōyō and a master of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, along with his rival Kanō Eitoku. Tōhaku was respected throughout Japan for his incredible Japanese art and many of his works have been listed as national treasures in Japan.

Pine tree and flowering plants (1593) by Hasegawa Tōhaku; Hasegawa Tōhaku, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pine Trees (late 16th century)

Also recognized as Shōrin-zu byōbu, this series of six screens is an exquisite example of Japanese drawing. Here, Tōhaku managed to capture light and movement with only ink as his chosen medium, allowing him to demonstrate a sense of added space, distance, and depth by applying three different layers of shading. Through his unique manipulation of brushstrokes, Tōhaku was able to create the impression of a receding landscape as one moves closer to it. 

“Shōrin-zu byōbu” demonstrates the rough application of brushstrokes on the paper, which creates a powerful visual of pine trees emerging from the empty background.

Pine Trees (1486) by Hasegawa Tōhaku; Tokyo National Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The viewer can feel the wind moving through the grove by the artist’s use of specifically placed pine trees in the composition. Tōhaku wanted to create the impression of being drawn into the painting and achieved this by adding gentle layers of ink on the foreground to create the effect of depth and distance, and enlarge the appearance of the pine trees. 

Kanō Eitoku (1543 – 1590)

Kanō Eitoku was born in 1543 in Kyoto, Japan, and was the grandson of master Kanō Motonobu. Motonobu taught his grandson in a style that was greatly influenced by the dominant Chinese movements. Along with other members of his family such as his father, Eitoku was renowned for his work in temples, where he installed painted ceilings, sliding door paintings, and decorated standing screens.

Birds and flowers of the four seasons (16th century) by Kanō Eitoku, part of the paintings on room partitions in the abbot’s quarters of Jukō-in of Daitoku-ji, Kyoto, Japan, ink on paper. This picture shows four of 16 panels on fusuma (sliding doors) in the ritual room; Kanō Eitoku (狩野永徳) and his father Kanō Shōei (狩野松栄), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Kanō Eitoku’s biggest contribution to the Kanō school’s selection of styles was his monumental style, otherwise known as Taiga, which was characterized by the use of bold brushwork, figures that are disproportionately large, and an emphasis on objects in the foreground. Eitoku was vastly popular in his time and had many patrons who commissioned his work.

The most well-known of these pieces was the eight-panel screen depicting a Cypress tree.

Painting of a Cypress Tree (1590)

This folding screen painting consists of eight panels and depicts a landscape with a cypress tree in the foreground. Constructed from several panels joined together, these screens were used to divide sections of interior spaces to provide privacy to large rooms and parts of a home. 

However, Eitoku did not originally paint this scene on a folding screen, but painted it on a sliding door. The folding screen was then used in an aristocratic residence that was built in 1590.

Eitoku painted the trees using a heavy hand and a brush to convey the effect of an overwhelming force, and covered the background in gold leaf. The overall contrast of the piece was achieved using strong lines and a limited color palette to create a striking composition. 

Cypress Trees (16th century) by Kanō Eitoku; Kanō Eitoku, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tawaraya Sōtatsu (1570 – 1643)

Although the exact date of Tawaraya Sōtatsu’s date of birth remains unknown, it was estimated to be around 1570. Tawaraya Sōtatsu was most famous for his collaborations with Hon’ami Kōetsu, whom he created many decorative and calligraphic works with, including amazing folding screens, many of which have become national treasures of Japan. Iconic examples of these screens include Wind God and Thunder God (c. 1630) and Sekiya and Miotsukushi (1631). 

Wind God Fujin (right) and Thunder God Raijin (left) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, 17th century; 俵屋宗達 (Tawaraya Sotatsu) (1570-1643), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sōtatsu was also a Japanese furniture designer and artist of the Rinpa school, which was not a school in traditional terms, but rather a collective of artists creating Japanese drawings and other artworks influenced by Kōetsu and Sōtatsu. He was also known for pioneering Tarashikomi, a technique in which one adds drop after drop of color while the previous layer is still wet.

Sekiya and Miotsukushi (1631)

This beautiful work by Sōtatsu is considered a masterpiece by Japanese art historians. Depicting the artist’s personal interpretation of the traditional Genji painting style, Sōtatsu adapts the Genji style of miniature Japanese drawing to a larger scale format, while helping to transform the visual storytelling element of Genji illustration through the use of simplified and clean geometry.

TOP: Chapter I of the Tale of Genji, Sekiya, and Miotsukushi (17th century) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu; Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | BOTTOM: Chapter II of the Tale of Genji, Sekiya, and Miotsukushi (17th century) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu; Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This piece consists of two screens, each one representing a random meeting between the character Genji and his former lover. Each screen portrays gates, which represent travel and was likely the main reason that they were paired together. This painting was one of two works by Sōtatsu that have been dated with accuracy and is thus considered vital in understanding the artist’s history, of which not much is known.

Ogata Kōrin (1658 – 1716)

Ogata Kōrin was born in 1658 into a wealthy family that dealt with the sale and design of textiles to the richer women of the city. His father introduced him to the various arts and he often worked together with his brother, Kenzan. Not only did he paint in various Japanese art styles, but he also was a designer and lacquerer. However, Kōrin is most well known for his decorated folding screens.

Important Art Object Flowering Plants in Autumn (18th century), attributed to Ogata Kōrin; Attributed to Ogata Kōrin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Kōrin has also been noted as reviving the Rinpa school, which had been founded 50 years previously by masters Sōtatsu and Hon’ami Kōetsu. Kōrin disregarded the norms and conventions of Naturalism and created his unique style, which encompassed the use of simplified forms and the styles of Impressionism.

Kōrin focused on using patterns of color in an abstract manner to convey a sense of flat, one-dimensional decorative design.

Red and White Plum Blossoms (early 18th century)

Red and White Plum Blossoms is one of the most famous paintings in Japan, currently residing at the MOA Museum of Art in Atami, and is registered as a national treasure. This simple yet beautifully stylized two-panel folding screen portrays a flowing river decorated with swirling flat waves and plum trees on either side of it. The presence of plum blossoms suggests to the viewer that the scene represents the spring period.

Red and White Plum Blossoms (early 18th century) by Ogata Kōrin; Ogata Kōrin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This work is considered a great example of the Rinpa school of painting, where Kōrin applied a technique called Tarashikomi to create the mottled look of the trees. This texture is created by placing a series of droplets on each other without the usual period of drying, usually practiced when painting. It is thought that, based on the dating of the paintings and other evidence, this was most likely Ogata Kōrin’s final painted piece before his passing in 1716.

Kitagawa Utamaro (1753 – 1806)

Kitagawa Utamaro was born in Edo in 1753 and is regarded as one of the most famous Japanese artists regarding the Ukiyo-e style of woodblock paintings and prints. Utamaro was also famous for his Japanese drawings, which featured large-headed women. Utamaro’s style also varied to include natural studies, in particular, a series of illustrated books about insects.

Portrait of Utamaro, drawn in 1931; 井上和雄編 渡辺版画店 1931, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Utamaro’s artwork eventually reached the shores of Europe, where it was well received. His emphasis on shadow and light and his application of partial views were said to have greatly influenced many European Impressionists.

When European artists referred to the “Japanese influence”, they were usually referring to the work of Kitagawa Utamaro.

Three Beauties of the Present Day (c. 1792–1793)

This composition depicts three women in a triangular formation. The women were all celebrities at the time and were regular subjects of the artist’s work. Each female figure is adorned with clothing bearing their family crests. Despite their highly stylized faces, one can still make out the individual characteristics portrayed on each face, which differed from the usual style of portraying faces noted in the works of artists who preceded Utamaro.

Three Beauties of the Present Day (c. 1793) by Kitagawa Utamaro; Kitagawa Utamaro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This form of art was very popular in the 17th to 19th centuries, with subjects that focused on everyday life, including kabuki actors and courtesans, as well as those associated with the pleasure districts of Japanese culture. These kinds of prints were created primarily for advertising the local areas of entertainment.

Today, “Three Beauties of the Present Day” is considered a masterpiece and is the best example of Utamaro’s earlier style.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849)

Katsushika Hokusai was born on the 31st of October, 1760, and was famous for transforming a style that was largely focused on actors, courtesans, and beautiful women by broadening the subject matter and introducing works that included plants, animals, and landscapes. Out of the majority of Japanese artists, Hokusai was the most internationally renowned Japanese artist, largely due to The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, which is considered an iconic masterpiece in Japanese art history. 

A self-portrait of Katsushika Hokusai at the age of 83; Public Domain, Link

Hokusai was said to have used over 30 various aliases, through which he created Japanese paintings and other styles such as woodblock printing. His most important contribution to Japanese art was created after he had turned 60 and includes his depiction of the holy mountain throughout the seasons, known as the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1829-1833).

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) (c. 1830–1832)

Under the Wave off Kanagawa, commonly called The Great Wave, is one of the world’s best-known Japanese prints. Published around 1830–1832 as part of Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, it depicts a towering wave above three fast cargo boats, with Mount Fuji in the distant background.

The size of the wave has led some to assume that the painting depicts a tsunami, while others suggest that it was more likely a representation of an enormous rogue wave.

Following a period of isolation from the West, Japanese art styles were exported to Europe, where they were quickly adopted and recognized as a period called Japonism. This particular piece was renowned for its impact on European art culture, with artists such as Vincent van Gogh, a huge admirer of Hokusai’s work, praising the quality of line in the Japanese drawing, stating that the visual had an impact that could be described as “emotionally terrifying”.

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) (c. 1830–1832), from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, by Katsushika Hokusai; After Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tomioka Tessai (1837 – 1924)

Born in 1837 as Tomioka Yūsuke, Tomioka Tessai was the pseudonym of this famous Japanese artist. Tomioka Tessai was known for being the last practitioner of the Bunjinga tradition, as well as a forefather of the Nihonga style. Born into a merchant family, his inability to hear led him to become a scholar and he pursued the fields of literature and philosophy instead of becoming a merchant. 

Portrait of Tomioka Tessai, before 1923; Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After the death of his father, Tessai moved to a Shinto shrine, where he spent more than 10 years studying under numerous accomplished painters. He eventually developed his unique style, which was inspired by the rising influence of Western art on the Eastern world, and moved Tessai to advocate for a return to traditional styles of painting, hence initiating the Nihonga movement in Japan.

Abe-no-Nakamaro Writing a Nostalgic Poem While Viewing the Moon (1918)

This beautiful masterpiece was created by Tomioka Tessai in 1918. This silk canvas features a landscape of rural Japan, depicted in vivid red and green hues that bring to life the otherwise beige and dull composition. The painting depicts a tranquil scene, in which a figure can be seen seated underneath one of the pagodas.

The figure depicted was of the famous poet and scholar Abe-no-Nakamaro from the Nara period. As the name of the painting suggests, he is engaged in the act of writing poetry, something for which he was highly revered, while watching the full moon rise over the distant hills.

Abe-no-Nakamaro Writing a Nostalgic Poem While Moon-viewing (1918) by Tomioka Tessai; Tomioka Tessai, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Takashi Murakami (1962 – Present)

Takashi Murakami was born on the 1st of February 1962, and is recognized as one of the most influential Contemporary artists of the 21st century. Murakami works across a variety of media, including painting, animation, and sculpture, inspired by fashion and popular culture. 

Murakami is credited with coining the term “Superflat”, which describes his unique style informed by the aesthetics of modern Japanese culture in the post-war era.

This style points towards an underlying legacy of two-dimensional flat imagery that permeated Japanese art and film industries in the late-20th century. Similar to the Pop art movement, “Superflat” sought to up-cycle visual elements that were considered “low-art” and repackage them in a fresh manner to elevate them to the level of “high-art”.

Abstract “Superflat” image by artist Takashi Murakami at the London Gallery; Tadeas Navratil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Smooth Nightmare (2000)

Takashi Murakami was dubbed “the Andy Warhol of Asia” and is considered the most famous Japanese artist to date. Smooth Nightmare is representative of his “Superflat” aesthetic that incorporates imagery with no visible depth of space. The artwork depicts various objects that seem to morph between human-like figures and mushrooms. A central figure illustrated by a mushroom with eyes takes up most of the canvas, with the background illustrated in a flat gray hue.

These ten profiles reveal only one route through Japanese art. Workshops, anonymous makers, publishers, carvers, printers, patrons, women artists, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers, architects, designers, and experimental collectives are equally necessary to a fuller history. Japanese art developed through exchange and reinvention, not through isolation or a single national aesthetic. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Japanese Art Differ From Other Eastern Cultures?

Japanese art has distinctive regional institutions, formats, subjects, and histories, but it cannot be understood apart from exchange with Korea, China, Europe, and other regions. Even during the Edo period, when foreign contact was regulated, trade and knowledge continued through several channels. Later ukiyo-e prints helped shape European Japonisme, while Japanese artists also engaged imported media and ideas.

What Is Japan’s Most Famous Painting?

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), published around 1830–1832, is probably the most internationally recognizable Japanese print. It belongs to Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, a series designed for commercial circulation rather than a unique painting.

What Are the Different Forms of Traditional Japanese Art?

Forms include painting on scrolls and screens, calligraphy (shodō), sculpture, ceramics, lacquer, textiles, metalwork, gardens, architecture, flower arrangement (ikebana), incense practice (kōdō), tea arts, woodblock books and prints, and performance traditions such as Noh, Kabuki, and dance. Their dates, patrons, and functions differ, so “traditional” should not imply timeless or unchanged. 

Is The Great Wave a Painting?

No. Hokusai designed it as a multicolor woodblock print, produced collaboratively by a publisher, block carvers, and printers. Individual impressions vary in color and condition, and many museums hold examples. Its reproducible format was central to its circulation and later global fame.

Isabella Meyer( Head of Content, Editor, Art Writer )

Isabella studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature & Language and Psychology. Throughout her undergraduate years, she took Art History as an additional subject and absolutely loved it. Building on from her art history knowledge that began in high school, art has always been a particular area of fascination for her. From learning about artworks previously unknown to her, or sharpening her existing understanding of specific works, the ability to continue learning within this interesting sphere excites her greatly.

Her focal points of interest in art history encompass profiling specific artists and art movements, as it is these areas where she is able to really dig deep into the rich narrative of the art world. Additionally, she particularly enjoys exploring the different artistic styles of the 20^th century, as well as the important impact that female artists have had on the development of art history.

Learn more about Isabella Meyer and the Art in Context Team.