Tanomura Chokunyu (田能村直入)
Chokunyu TANOMURA (March 31, 1814 - January 21, 1907) is an artist who flourished in Meiji period. He was an adopted stepchild of Chikuden TANOMURA. He is known as an artist of literati painting in the end period in Japan.
His childhood name was Shota and Denta, Imina (posthumous name) was Tade and Chi, pen name was Kyoko and Kozetu and Go (second name) was Kotora at the first but changed to Chokunyu, alias Kotora. There are other Go such as Chikuo, Bousai, Kousai, Usen, Hoteian and Museishikaku. He was born in Takeda-cho, Naoiri County, Bungo Province (now Takeda City, Oita Prefecture).
Brief biography
He was born as the third son of Denemon SANNOMIYA, a feudal retainer of Oka Domain. Since his uncle, Houtou WATANABE was a teacher of Chikuden TANOMURA in childhood, he was introduced to Chikuden and he became a pupil of Chikuden's art school at the age of 9 in 1822. He was found to be talented, so he became an adopted heir. There were Sohei TAKAHASHI and Kyou HOASHI as senior fellow disciples.
He learned Confucianism from Kyuka TSUNODA and Chinese poetry from Gyokuso HIROSE besides art, and also educated Omotesen-ke school Japanese tea ceremony, incense-burning and swordplay of Togun-ryu school.
Accompanying Chikuden to Osaka in 1834, he learned Yomei-gaku (neo-Confuciasnism based on teaching of Wang Yangming) at Senshindo of Heihachiro OSHIO and got a license of the spearmanship in the way of SATAKE. He got on with Togai FUJISAWA, Shochiku SHINOZAKI, Shoin GOTO, Gyokuso HIROSE and Hanko OKATA.
Although he spent his time by traveling around Kyoto and Osaka for a while after his teacher Chikuden died, he got settled in Sakai at the age of 27 and founded Poetry Club Kosai Ginsha (poetry society). It is said that more than 300 disciples were gathered.
He was given Inka (Certification of spiritual achievement) and a lay Buddhist when practiced Zen meditation at Obaku-shu Sect Tenchu Shinichi at the age of 35. He drew 500 Rakanzo (images of Arhat) for a pray to repair Osaka Tenno-ji Temple and donated it. He moved to Koraibashi at the age of 46 in 1869 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Chikuden's death at Namba Zuiryu-ji Temple and devote himself to hold a memorial service for his mentorr.
Also he respected Chikuden's will and made every effort to popularize green tea ceremony. He promoted green tea ceremony called 'Seiwan Chakai (a tea ceremony party)' at Seiwan the lower Yodo-gawa River on the 100th anniversary of Baisao in 1862. He drew 100 portraits and distributed them then and there. It is said 1,200 people came and it was very lively. The circumstance is completed in "Seiwan Chakai pictorial record". He ran a Seiwan teahouse in 1865 and held a tea party at Koyasan again.
He was asked by Hisanari NAKAGAWA who was a feudal retainer of Oka Domain to serve as a feudal retainer of domain. It seems that this arrangement was made by Nanmei HARUKI, who was a Hisanari's painting teacher and an artist of literati painting. In addition, he found favor with Yodo YAMAUCHI, a feudal retainer of Tosa Domain and Takayuki TODO, a feudal retainer of Tsu Domain of Ise Province.
He labored for holding Kyoto Expo at the age of 63, in 1877. He entered his works and won a prize. He was given the honor of painting in front of Emperor at Imperial visit. In August, 1878, he proposed a foundation of Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting to Masanao MAKIMURA, the governor of Kyoto Prefecture, with Bairei KONO and others. The school opened in 1880 and Chokunyu assumed Setsuri (president). But he took the blame and resigned in 1884 due to continuous conflicts among each school of painting. Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting was the forerunner of Kyoto City University of Arts.
He founded a private school, Nanshuga school, after retirement. He founded Japan Nanga Association with Tessai TOMIOKA and Aizan TANIGUCHI in 1896. He merged the private school into the association.
He became a chief priest of Mt. Obaku Tacchu (sub-temples in the site of main temple) Shishirin at the age of 86. He was very active to set up a calligraphic works and paintings party for the 65th anniversary of Chikuden's death memorial service, green tea and green powdered tea ceremony rooms and hold books and treasures exhibition. But the feud with a former chief led him to leave priesthood in 1907.
He died in January of the same year. His age at death was 95.
His well-known works
'Ryuin Kanpozu' in 1865.
'Mt. Obaku Shishirin Shinkei-zu' (the real scenery of Mt. Obaku Shishirin)
Book
"Chokunyu Koji Myosekishu"