Sato Issai at Age 50
佐藤一斎（五十歳）像
Watanabe Kazan · 1821 (Bunsei 4) · Hanging scroll
Image: Source: ColBase (Work page (opens in a new tab)) (reduced in size on this site) Public Data License 2.0 of the Government of Japan (compatible with CC BY 4.0) (opens in a new tab) View larger
Sato Issai at Age 50 is a portrait in color on silk painted in 1821 (Bunsei 4) by Watanabe Kazan, who studied under the Confucian scholar Sato Issai, showing him at fifty. It is an Important Cultural Property held by the Tokyo National Museum.
- Artist
- Watanabe Kazan
- Date
- 1821 (Bunsei 4)
- Medium / format
- Hanging scroll
About this work
Sato Issai (1771-1859) was a leading Confucian scholar of the late Edo period, and Watanabe Kazan was one of his pupils. This work shows Issai at the age of fifty.
In the picture, Issai is shown in a green robe, turned slightly to the side, with lines of text written neatly across the top. His face, with tightened eyes and a short beard around the mouth, is carefully drawn in fine lines.
The painting was passed down in the family of Issai's son-in-law, Kawada Tekisai. Later, Kazan's pupil Tsubaki Chinzan was invited on Issai's seventieth birthday and painted a portrait of the couple sitting formally together. This work is color on silk, 80.6 x 50.2 cm, designated an Important Cultural Property.
Where can I see it?
Exhibitions change over time. Check each museum's exhibition information before you visit.
Museums that hold this work
- Tokyo National MuseumMuseum's page for this work (opens in a new tab)
Taito City, Tokyo Accession no. A-12055
Plan your visit to Tokyo National Museum
Find places to stay, activities and rental cars for a visit to Tokyo National Museum, which holds "Sato Issai at Age 50".
Frequently asked questions
- Who painted Sato Issai at Age 50, and when?
- Sato Issai at Age 50 is by Watanabe Kazan, made in 1821 (Bunsei 4). Medium: Hanging scroll.
- Where can I see Sato Issai at Age 50?
- It is held by Tokyo National Museum. Exhibitions change, so check each museum's information before you visit.
Sources and references
- ColBase (Tokyo National Museum) (in Japanese) (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-11-05)
You may also like
More from Tokyo
Discover more of the same region on our sister sites.