was a possibly fictitious

Japanese art Japanese art consists of a wide range of art styles and media that includes Jōmon pottery, ancient pottery, Japanese sculpture, sculpture, Ink wash painting, ink painting and Japanese calligraphy, calligraphy on silk and paper, Ukiyo-e, paint ...

ist. Some people and sources state his real name was Itami Toshikatsu. A

Renaissance man A polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, ...

, he worked as a sculptor, carpenter, painter, architect, comedian, actor, ''

kōdan is a style of traditional oral Japanese storytelling. The form evolved out of lectures on historical or literary topics given to high-ranking nobles of the Heian period, changing over the centuries to be adopted by the general samurai class and e ...

shi'' (rhythmical storyteller) and professor of art. Although various studies suggest he was active in the early

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

(around 1596–1644), there are controversies about the historical existence of the person. Jingorō is believed to have created many famous deity sculptures located throughout Japan, and many legends have been told about him. His famous ''

nemuri-neko Nemuri-neko ( or , "sleeping cat", from ''nemuri'', "sleeping/peaceful" and ''neko'', "cat") is a famous wood carving by Hidari Jingorō (左甚五郎の作) located in the East corridor at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Tōshō-gū Shrine (日光東照� ...

'' ("sleeping cat") carving is located above the Kuguri-mon Gate amidst the sacred mountain shrines and temples of

Nikkō is a Cities of Japan, city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city's population was 80,239, in 36,531 households. The population density was 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Nikkō is a popular destination for Japanese and ...

, Japan. Amongst these shrines and temples is

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the ...

, a shrine that honors the Shōgun

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

. The two dragon carvings at the '' karamon'' in

Ueno Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in the Taitō Special wards of Tokyo, ward of Tokyo, Japan. First established in 1627 by Tōdō Takatora and renovated in 1651 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the shrine has remained mostly intact since that time, ma ...

are also attributed to him.English information panel at Ueno Tōshō-gū. Other sculptors were reportedly jealous of how skilled a carpenter Hidari was, to the point of chopping off his right arm. Luckily he was left-handed and was able to keep working, the reason why he acquired his last name Hidari''Minna no Nihongo Shokyuu'', Lesson 37. (meaning "left"). According to another theory, he was an apprentice to a blacksmith and made

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

swords. After working there a while, Jingorō felt he deserved to know what temperature the oil was kept at. Against his boss's permission he attempted to test the temperature of the oil by touching it and his boss cut off his right hand. When he realized he could no longer be a blacksmith he became an apprentice for the Chief Architect Hokyo Yoheiji Yusa of the

Imperial Court in Kyoto The Imperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji period (1868–1912), after which the court was moved from Kyoto (formerly Heian-kyō) to Tokyo (formerly Edo) and integrated into the Meiji go ...

, where he studied how to build temples, shrines, and sculptures. Stories about Jingorō are well known in Japan. According to one, he saw a woman of exceptional beauty and created a sculpture of her. Jingorō began to drink in the company of the sculpture, and it emotionlessly started to imitate his moves. When a mirror was placed before the sculpture, the woman's spirit came to life. File:SleepingCatNikko.jpg, Carving of a sleeping cat at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, said to be the work of Jingorō. File:Toshogu Shrine - Karamon (Chinese-style gate) 02 (15567616950).jpg, Carving of a dragon at Ueno Tōshō-gū, also attributed to Jingorō.

See also

References

Further reading