Asai Chū: Pioneer of Western-Style Painting in Japan Early Life and Education Born: 1856, Chiba City, Japan. Asai Chū was born into an ex-samurai class household in Sakura, Kantō region of Japan. His father served as a retainer of the Sakura domain and also acted as principal of the domain school. He initially pursued English language studies in Tokyo in 1873 but soon became captivated by the arts. In 1876, he enrolled at the Kobubijutsu Gakkō (Technical Fine Arts School), one of the first institutions to offer Western-style art training in Japan. Crucially, he studied under Anto…