Hashimoto Gaho was a Japanese artist, one of the last to paint in the Kano School style.
He was born in Edo, where he studied painting at Kano Shosen'i and was heavily influenced by Kano Hogai's work. Hashimoto Gaho has created many works in the traditional Kano School style using color and gold, or in other cases, black and white ink. But while in his paintings were mostly traditionalist, using traditional methods and depicting traditional objects, Hashimoto Gaho, like Kano Hogai, included elements of Western art.
His pictures, as well as those of many other Japanese artists from that period, show artistic techniques, various types of detail, and in particular attempts to correctly depict the perspective.
In 1860, he opened his studio, but the political and economic upheavals around Meiji Restoration forced Hashimoto Gaho to seek income in other ways than by selling fine art. He made maps for Naval Academy, drawing on fans and using his skills in some different ways to make a living.
Kano Hogai was invited in 1884 by Okakura Kakuzo to become Chief Professor of Painting at Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko, now Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
In 1898 he joined another artist, Okakura, both left Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko and founded the Japan Fine Arts Academy. Hashimoto Gaho taught there until his death in 1908.
As a result of his position as Chief Professor of Painting, Gaho had many important students, including Yokoyama Taikan and Kawai Gyokudo.