Oda Tōyō (Born into the Oda samurai family; “Sesshū” is a chosen artistic pseudonym)
Sesshū Tōyō (1420–1506) was a Zen Buddhist monk and a master of suibokuga (ink wash painting). He is widely considered one of the most prominent masters in the history of Japanese art, celebrated for adapting Chinese ink painting techniques into a distinctively Japanese aesthetic.

Born into the Oda samurai family, he was sent to a local Zen temple as a youth. He later relocated to Shōkoku-ji in Kyoto, a major Zen temple and the center of artistic and cultural life in Muromachi-period Japan. There, he studied painting under the great master Tenshō Shūbun.

Sesshū’s artistic turning point occurred in 1468 when he traveled to Ming Dynasty China as part of a trading mission. Unlike his predecessors who only studied imported Chinese artworks, Sesshū was able to directly observe the majestic Chinese landscapes and study under contemporary Ming masters. Upon returning to Japan in 1469, he broke away from the strict imitation of Chinese Song and Yuan dynasty models. He developed a highly personalized style marked by bold, assertive brushstrokes, severe angularity, and a profound mastery of spatial depth.

He is particularly famous for popularizing the haboku (splashed-ink) technique in Japan. This spontaneous and highly abstract method involves splashing or rapidly brushing wet ink onto the paper, capturing the spiritual essence of a landscape using minimal strokes rather than detailed realism.

Sesshū’s magnum opus is the Long Landscape Scroll (Sansui Chokan, 1486), a breathtaking 50-foot continuous horizontal scroll depicting the transition of the four seasons. Today, six of his surviving paintings are designated as National Treasures of Japan, the highest number for any single artist, solidifying his immense legacy in East Asian art.

Active in others filds : Zen Buddhist Priesthood, Garden Design (He is credited with designing several notable Zen rock gardens, including the Sesshū-tei at Jōei-ji).