The Beginnings of a Painter Born in 1865 in Ohtake, Japan, the man known to history as Ohashi Uichiro—or by his chosen name, Ohashi Suiseki—was the second son of a dye shop owner named Ohashi Kamesaburo. His early years in Mono Province were shaped by a natural affinity for painting that appeared almost from birth. By the age of fifteen, he began formal training in the Nanga style under Toda Modo. This foundation in traditional Southern School painting provided the technical groundwork for what would become a highly specialized career. His path led him through the major artistic centers of Ja…