Momohiro Hirafuku (1877–1933) was a Japanese-style painter born in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, who was active from the Meiji period through to the early Shōwa period. Raised as the son of the Japanese-style painter Hirafuku Hoan, he began studying painting in earnest after moving to Tokyo. He placed great importance on observing the nature around him with his own eyes, depicting plants, birds and mountain and countryside landscapes with a straightforward brushstroke, free from excessive embellishment. He was also fond of tanka poetry, and the delicate sensibility he cultivated through his interactions with poets lent a quiet poetic quality to his works.

When viewing Hyakuhō’s works, one gets the sense that, rather than dramatising nature, he gently uncovers the beauty of unassuming, fleeting moments. The swaying of the grass, the silhouettes of birds, and even the atmosphere of the seasons come to life within his understated colour palette, leaving a gentle resonance on the canvas. He comes across as an artist who valued a mind attentive to nature over conspicuous technical skill. The more tranquil the work, the longer one wishes to gaze upon it; I believe that this sincerity and refinement are the greatest charms of Hirafuku Hyakuhō.