Born in Kanda, Tokyo, Mishima Shôsô had an interesting career: he studied Maruyama-Shijô school painting with a pupil of Suzuki Nanrei and then became a disciple of Kikuchi Yôsai. He became friend with a fellow student, Watanabe Seitei. Like Seitei he was primarily famous as a painter, but he also contributed illustrations to very many publications, Bungei kurabu among others. Helen Merritt also mentions (in Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints) that he had assembled a collection of Sharaku prints when they were still inexpensive, but that his house burnt down, destroying the entire collection.
