Attracted the attention of Utagawa Toyokuni I with his drawing of Zhong Kui (Shoki) at age twelve, and soon became a disciple of Toyokuni’s. He fell on hard times in his 20s, but at 31 published One hundred and eight heroes of the popular Suikoden. This gained him popularity, and he came to be called “Warrior Print Kuniyoshi”. He did everything well, from actors and beautiful women to landscapes, but in particular, his triptych panoramas of warriors or historical scenes as well as his witty caricatures snatched the hearts of the general public. He gathered many excellent pupils with his natural leadership, including Ochiai Yoshiiku, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and Kawanabe Kyosai.