Katsuragawa Hoken

• Born: 1730/5/26
• Died: 1783/7/30
• Other Names: 桂川甫筑 (Katsuragawa Hochiku), 甫三 (Hosan), 国訓 (Kuninori)
• Japanese: 桂川甫賢 (Katsuragawa Hoken)

Katsuragawa Hoken, also known as Hochiku and Kuninori, was a samurai physician in service to the Tokugawa shogunate, and is said to have been particularly exceptional in Dutch medicine. He was the third head of the Katsuragawa family, and third to be called Katsuragawa Hochiku.

He was born in Edo in 1730, the eldest son of Katsuragawa Hochiku (Kuniteru). In 1760, at the age of 30, he followed in his father's footsteps and was named court physician (oku ishi) to the shogunate. He was named to the honorary Buddhist rank of hôgan in 1766.

Hoken's sons included the scholar and physician Katsuragawa Hoshû, and writer Morishima Chûryô.

References

• "Katsuragawa Hochiku (3)," Nihon jinmei daijiten, Kodansha 2009.