Kawasaki Kyosen

Kawasaki Kyosen (1877 - 1942)

Kyosen Kawasaki was born on June 2, 1877, 
in Sakai Prefecture (present-day Sakai City,Osaka Prefecture). 
Blessed with artistic talent from a young age, 
he began studying under ukiyo-e artist Nakai Hotaki in 1892.
This mentorship placed him in the lineage of the Utagawa school, 
traced from Utagawa Toyoharu to Toyokuni, Kuniyoshi, Yoshiume, and Hotaki, 
leading to Kyosen. 
He was also known by the pen names "Ningyodo," "Hosaishi," and "Hekisuikyo."

Later, he moved to Tokyo to further his studies in painting. 
Upon returning to Osaka, he married Hotaki's daughter, Hamako, 
and became her adopted son. 
Kyosen worked as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines, 
creating serialized illustrations and contributing as an artist.

From around 1903, Kyosen traveled throughout Japan, 
showing a strong interest in folk toys and producing numerous sketches of them. 
He also organized the Folk Toy Research Association and held toy painting exhibitions 
at department stores in the Kansai region, dedicating himself to the promotion and 
study of folk toys. Although more than 5,000 folk toys he collected were lost during the war, 
many of his toy illustrations are preserved as part of the "Ningyodo Library" collection 
at the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library.
Kyosen passed away on September 15, 1942, at the age of 66.