Artists

Suma Taisui

Suma Taisui (須磨対水, 1868–1955) shaped the Ōsaka painting circle from the Taishō through the Shōwa era. The peony on the label of the Gokushun sake is his work.

Published on: Mar 29, 2026

Kakemono by Suma Taisui: blossoming old cherry tree in spring, in color on silk. — Spring at the Old Cherry Tree – Kakemono by Suma Taisui (須磨対水) (detail)

In a nutshell

Suma Taisui (須磨対水) was a Japanese painter (1868–1955), born in the Ōsaka merchant district of Senba. His civilian name was Ebira Shikatarō. He studied under Kubota Tōsui and became one of the defining painters of the Ōsaka circle from the Taishō into the Shōwa era. From 1914 to 1926 he lived in Ikeda. His area of work encompassed flowers, birds, and landscapes. The peony on the trademark of the sake Gokushun is his work; the name of the restaurant Kitchō likewise goes back to him.

Suma Taisui (須磨対水): Painting from the Merchant District of Ōsaka

Suma Taisui (須磨対水, 1868–1955) was a Japanese painter, born in Senba – the merchant district of Ōsaka that carried the city economically over the centuries. His civilian name was Ebira Shikatarō. From the Taishō period into the Shōwa period, he was one of the defining figures of the Ōsaka painting circle; from 1914 to 1926 he lived in Ikeda, north of the city.

The Ōsaka Circle and Its Patrons

Taisui studied under Kubota Tōsui. Unlike in Kyōto, where court and temple shaped painting, and unlike in Tōkyō with its state academies, the Ōsaka circle was oriented toward the merchant class. This gave the painting of the region a more practical character: pictures for the living space, for the place of business, for the occasion – and occasionally for advertising.

A Peony on the Sake Label

The peony that adorns the trademark of the sake Gokushun comes from Taisui – an example of how naturally painting in Ōsaka reached into everyday life. The name of the restaurant Kitchō, which later became one of the most famous in Japan, also goes back to him. In this milieu, a painter was not merely a producer of pictures, but a cultural authority whose advice was sought.

The Old Cherry Tree in Spring

An old, gnarled cherry tree in full bloom is something different from a young branch: the pictorial theme joins the brevity of the blossoms with the age of the trunk, and draws its tension from this contrast. Pictorially, it calls for two kinds of brushwork – a dry, angular stroke for the bark and a soft, almost dabbing application for the blossoms. Such kakemono are hung during the two to three weeks of cherry blossom season and are rolled up again afterward.