Wada Sanzô 1883 - 1967

Wada Sanzô was a Japanese painter born in the Hyogo Prefecture on the island of Honsu. At age 16 he dropped out of school to study art it Tokyo. He studied under painter Kuroda Seiki, eventually attending the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1901. His work appeared in several exhibitions, winning several awards. In 1909 he went to Paris for 7 years to study painting, film and crafts. Later he spent time in India, Burma and Java.

During the war he contributed to the Japanese war effort by creating patriotic art and propaganda. After the war, his work and study in color theory was acclaimed. In 1955 he won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Color for the movie Gate of Hell.