Ishakawa Komei (1852-1913) was born at Asakusa in Edo (Tokyo) into a family of Miya-bori (sculptors of wood carvings for Shinto shrines). He sometimes used the gōJuzan and Hoyusai and the seal Kojumei.Komei trained in Kano-style painting under Kano Sosen and studied ivory carving under Kikukawa Masamitsu. In 1891 he became Professor of the Sculpture Department at the Tokyo Art School. He was a Court artist and member of the Art Committee of the Imperial Household. He first exhibited in 1881 at the Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai and served as a juror for the early Bunten exhibitions. In 1891 he became Professor of the Sculpture Department at Tokyo, School of Fine Arts. Komei is renowned as being one of the greatest of all Japanese sculptors.