Katsuragawa Hochiku (Kuniteru)

• Born: 1697
• Died: 1781/3/30
• Other Names: 国華 (Kuniteru), 甫三 (Hosan)
• Japanese: 桂川甫筑 (Katsuragawa Hochiku)

Katsuragawa Hochiku, also known as Kuniteru and Hosan, was a samurai physician in service to the Tokugawa shogunate. He is said to have been particularly expert at the mixing of medicines.

Born in Kai province the eldest son of Katsuragawa Hochiku (Kunimichi), he was the second head of the Katsuragawa family, and the second to hold the name Hochiku. In 1735, he was named court physician (oku ishi) to the shogunate. He was later granted the physicians' lay monastic title of hôgan.

His son Katsuragawa Hochiku (Kuninori) and grandson Katsuragawa Hoshû succeeded him as official shogunate physician.

References

• "Katsuragawa Hochiku (2)," Nihon jinmei daijiten, Kodansha, 2009.