Artists

Imai Keiju

Imai Keiju (今井景樹) studied under Imao Keinen and became his adopted son. His focus was on flower-and-bird painting.

Published on: Mar 14, 2026

Kakemono by Imai Keiju: birds in autumn-colored maple, in color on silk. — Birds in Autumn Maple – Kakemono by Imai Keiju (今井景樹) (detail)

In a nutshell

Imai Keiju (今井景樹) was a Japanese painter of the Maruyama school. He was born in Seki in Suzuka District, in present-day Mie. He studied under Imao Keinen, one of the most important bird-and-flower painters of Kyōto in the Meiji era, and became his adopted son. His own focus likewise lay on kachō-ga. The artist name 景樹 also appears in the reading Keiki.

Imai Keiju (今井景樹): Student and Son of Imao Keinen

Imai Keiju (今井景樹) was a Japanese painter of the Maruyama school. He was born in Seki in Suzuka District, in present-day Mie. He went to Kyōto and studied under Imao Keinen, whose adopted son he later became – a path common in Japanese painting, in which apprenticeship and family succession coincide.

Keiju or Keiki? On the Reading

The artist name 景樹 appears in two readings, Keiju and Keiki. Both refer to the same painter; those searching for Imai Keiki mean the same works.

The School of Imao Keinen

Imao Keinen (1845–1924) was one of the most important flower-and-bird painters of Kyōto in the Meiji and Taishō periods. He stood in the Maruyama tradition and carried its principle – precise study of nature – to its utmost: his kachō-ga combine precise observation with a luminous, carefully graduated coloring. His model book on flower and bird painting achieved wide circulation and shaped an entire generation. Keiju continued to work in this direction.

Maple in Autumn

The maple is the quintessential autumn motif in Japan – viewing the change of color holds a rank as Momijigari similar to cherry blossom viewing in spring. For the painter, the appeal lies in the gradation of color: a maple branch shows green, yellow, and deep red leaves at the same time, and the transition between them determines the effect. Small birds in the branches give the picture its scale. Such kakemono are hung from October into early winter.