(fl. 1822–1830)[1] was a Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print artist active in the Osaka area during the first half of the nineteenth century. He was a member of the Shunkōsai Fukushū school of artists,[2] and studied under .[3] His original surname was, and he used the gō art names (1822-1824), (1824-1830), .[4]
As an Osaka-based artist, Hokuchō's works are categorized as, a term used to distinguish prints produced in the Kamigata area (Kyoto and Osaka) from those produced in Edo.[5] Kamigata-e were predominantly images of kabuki actors, and were produced almost exclusively by amateur “talented kabuki fans” promoting their favourite actors rather than professional print designers.[6]
Hokuchō was not a prolific artist and few prints attributed to him survive. Many of his prints are characterized by yellow backgrounds,[7] and all of these images are yakusha-e kabuki actor portraits. Actors featured in his works include,,,,,,,, and .
The majority of his prints were published by (Honsei), although he also produced works for the firms (Tenki) and .[8] He regularly worked with Kasuke, one of the most esteemed woodblock carvers of the period.[9] [10]
Modern art historians and critics have not been overly impressed with Hokuchō's skill, describing him as "competent but limited",[11] and less talented than his mentor, Hokushū.[12]
Works by Shunshosai Hokuchō belong to the permanent collections of various international museums including the following: