Mashiyama Sessai 増山雪斎

増山雪斎 Mashiyama Sessai (1754-1819)
Born in Edo as the eldest son of Masuyama Masayoshi, feudal lord of Nagashima, Ise Province. On his father's death in 1776 (An'ei 5), at the age of 23, he received the inherited fief of 20,000 koku. In 1801 (Kyouwa 1), at the age of 48, he handed over the reigns to his eldest son Masayasu and retired to a villa in Sugamo, Edo, where he lived a life of self-indulgence and contentment. Sessai's literary pursuits included calligraphy and painting, as well as Go (Japanese board game), tea ceremony, and other pursuits that a man of letters should enjoy.