Tocho (杜澂)
Tocho (male, 1748-May 13, 1816) was a Japanese painter and tenkokuka (artist of seal engraving).
His family name was Nakae. His azana (adult male's nickname) were Choko and 師叔, his second names or aliases included Shoka, Katei, 看雲子, Goteki, 琴史, 陶古 and 真賞斎. He was from Kyoto.
Brief biography
He came to believe in the Obaku sect of Buddhism in Kyoto, but he returned to secular life and changed his name back to Nakae. Since he was good at koto (a long Japanese zither with thirteen strings), calligraphy, Chinese poetry, literati painting and tenkoku (seal-engraving), he was referred to as Goteki. He became a disciple of Kuku (宿谷黙甫) who followed the style of Shinetsu for learning koto. He learned painting in Edo under Kyujo TO (西丸扈従) who was a disciple of Shiseki SO. He studied calligraphy and tenkoku under 雪庵 (Donge) who was a disciple of Kotaku HOSOI, and also learned calligraphy from 阮西園. In Nagasaki, he learned poetry and calligraphy from 龔允譲, a foreigner.
He temporarily lived in Edo, and toured to Echigo with his mother. He stayed in Echigo, mainly in Izumozaki Town, for more than ten years. During that time, he became close to Unzen KUSHIRO. In 1792, his mother died. Next year, 一日百印会 was held in Takada City. Tachibanaya, where he stayed, was an important family from where Ryokan was born.
Died at the age of 69. He was buried in Jogen-ji Temple in Izumozaki Town, Echigo Province. His posthumous Buddhist name was 松窠庵釈化雲 (Jodo Shinshu [the True Pure Land Sect of Buddhism]). The gravestone was lost by a cliff failure.
"Insho Bisei" by Ekisai TOMITORI was a copy of "Chokoinyo" by Tocho.
Literary work
"施刻一日百章"
"Chokoinyo" Volume 7 (1782)
"Chokogaden" Volume 3 Preface: Seiryo KAIHO
"倭奴国金印考" Afterword: 阮西園
"琴伝の説"