Ogata Koichi

“An educational drawing manual published during the Meiji period by Gakuyūkan in Tokyo.
Illustrated by Ogata Kōichi, the volume was probably designed to teach students how to draw human figures while simultaneously introducing them to important historical, legendary, military, and everyday subjects.
The book contains studies of famous heroes such as Benkei, Kusunoki Masashige, Mori Ranmaru, and General Fukushima Yasumasa, alongside samurai, soldiers, noblemen, labourers, and common townspeople.
This combination reflects the educational ideals of late Meiji Japan, where artistic training, moral education, and patriotism were closely connected.
Rather than presenting finished artworks, the illustrations serve as practical drawing models, making the volume an important example of Japanese art education at the end of the nineteenth century.