About Sonsai
Lived 1736 – 1802 (aged 65). Sonsai was a Japanese painter, collector and brewer.
was a Japanese scholar, artist and art connoisseur.
Kimura's family were sake merchants, and he followed the family trade, but was obliged to move into the stationery business after being convicted of excessive alcohol production. At an early age, Kimura was trained in painting by Ōoka Shunboku and Yanagisawa Kien. He also studied the natural sciences, learning from Tsushima Tsunenoshin and Ono Ranzan. After retiring to Ise, he spent his time collecting objets d'art and painting, earning a reputation as a capable landscape painter of the nanga school under the pen-name Sonsai. His collection was highly respected, and was purchased by the Japanese government after his death for the considerable sum of 500 ryō.
Kimura was also a devotee of the tea ceremony, which he studied under Baisao; Kimura himself was largely responsible for codifying the use of utensils and the processes for the sencha ceremony.
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Important facts
People in Sonsai's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sonsai's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sonsai?
Japanese painter (1736-1802)
When was Sonsai born?
Sonsai was born on 29 December 1736 in Horie.
When did Sonsai die?
Sonsai died on 27 February 1802 in Senba.
What was Sonsai's occupation?
Sonsai was a painter, collector and brewer.
What nationality was Sonsai?
Sonsai was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sonsai. https://biography.guide/sonsai/
MLA: "Sonsai." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sonsai/.
Chicago: "Sonsai." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sonsai/.
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