Hōsaien (1734-1789) was a Qing merchant and painter who came to China in the mid-Edo period. His name was Ji, and his characters were Geoji, Geogawa, and Saien. He drifted ashore in Awa (present-day Chiba Prefecture) and became popular in his homeland for his depiction of Mount Fuji, which he saw on his way to Nagasaki. He was good at ink and light-colored flower-and-bird paintings, which were later copied by Tani Buncho as “Drifting Passenger’s Chisho-zu” and influenced Japanese literati painters.
