Kusakabe Meikaku

1838～1922
He was a calligrapher. He was strongly influenced by Suo Nukina (貫名菘翁) and studied Nukina’s idea toward calligraphy through Nukina’s pupils. After the Meiji Restoration, he became the great secretary of the Grand Council of State. However, he quit his job after Toshimichi Okubo (大久保利通) died and decided to be a calligrapher. Through the interaction with a Chinese calligrapher, Yo Syukei (楊守敬), he acquired the continental history of calligraphy. He blazed a trail for the appreciation and research of calligraphy.