Suminokura Soan (角倉素庵)
Soan SUMINOKURA (June 27, 1571-August 7, 1632) was a civil engineering worker, calligrapher, and trading merchant in the early Edo period.
He was a noshoka (a calligraphy luminary) and one of 'the three greatest calligraphy luminaries in Kyoto.'
He was the eldest son of Ryoi SUMINOKURA. His by-name was Yoichi, and his real names were Kuroyuki, Sadatoshi, and Mitsumasa.
He learned Confucianism from Seika FUJIWARA and calligraphy from Koetsu HONAMI and founded the Suminokura school of calligraphy. Following in his father's footsteps, he also engaged in a trading business and civil engineering works. After he passed down businesses to his child and went into retirement, he published a series of books known as the old-style 'Saga-bon' (Suminokura-bon).