Watanabe Kazan

Kazan combined Western realism with subtle Eastern brushwork to create a unique and dynamic style of painting. Kazan, a samurai and Confucian scholar, advocated studying Western weaponry, technology, economics and politics for the national good. He was subsequently arrested and persecuted by anti-foreign authorities, which eventually led him to commit suicide seppuku at the age of 48. His beliefs were eventually proven correct, and he became a historical and cultural hero.