Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Tensen Ogyu, born Ōgyū Moritoshi on April 28, 1882, in the tranquil city of Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, embarked on a path that would see him become a pivotal figure in early 20th-century Japanese painting. His origins lay within a family deeply rooted in Shinto priesthood—a heritage that instilled in him an early reverence for nature and tradition, qualities that would profoundly shape his artistic vision. Though not initially destined for the world of art, Ogyu’s innate talent soon became undeniable, leading him to pursue formal training afte…