Soga Nichokuan (birth and death date unknown) is a painter of the early Edo period. His common name was Sahei, and his legal name was Naoan Jun’ei. He is said to have lived in Sakai. According to “Fuso Meigakufu” (Fuso Meigakufu), “Kosho Meiga Jikke” (Imperial Collection of Meiga), and “Gajo Yosoku” (A Compendium of Painters), he was the son of Soga Naoan (b. 1596-1615), a painter active mainly in Sakai during the Keicho era (1596-1615), and inherited the painting system and seals from Naoan. Although the accompanying letter “Echizen-kuni Soga no kikei zu” (Echizen Province Soga family tree) to the “Hawk painting” collection of Horyuji Temple states that he was a descendant of Soga Heshoku, a painter in the service of the Echizen Asakura family, the authenticity of this statement is unknown. He was active from Kan’ei to Meireki (1624-1658) and, like Nao-an, is known to have excelled at painting hawks.
