At age 19, he became a disciple of Katsukawa Shunsho and took on the name Shunro. After his teacher Shunsho’s death, he left the Katsukawa school and adopted the name Tawaraya Sori. From then on, he used more than 30 artist names, including Taito, Hokusai, Gakyojin, Iitsu, and Manji Rojin. From his mid-40s he worked on many illustrations for popular literature at the time, such as Takizawa Bakin’s Strange Tales of the Crescent Moon. In 1814, he released Hokusai Manga, a compilation of illustrated models. Entering his 70s, he published series of color prints one after another, including his masterpiece, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. In his later years, he also took up the brush and painted.