Takashima Hokkai (1850-1931) moved to Nancy, a city in northern France, at the age of 35 to study forestry as a Meiji government official.
He was sent to and enrolled in the National Forestry College.
Although Takashima was originally good at drawing, he did not go to France as a painter.

At that time in Nancy, due to the popularity of Japonism, many people were interested in Japanese art. A teacher at school recognized his talent for painting and gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his skills to many people. When he was asked to do so, he demonstrated ink paintings, which made a big impact on the artists of Nancy and made him an instant star.
Among them, the owner of a glass workshop, Emile Gallé (1840-1904), was particularly attracted to Takashima's paintings.
The relationship between Takashima and Gallé began, and the series of glass works he created using the methodology of Japanese art that he shared with them won great acclaim.
Gallé's works reflect the expression of making use of the white space and the black of sumi-e, which incorporate the knowledge and techniques of Takashima. At the time, glass products made in Nancy were inferior in design to those made in the big city of Paris, but they attracted a great deal of attention by incorporating authentic Japanese art.

After returning to Japan, Takashima officially began his career as a painter. Despite the trend at the time for most painters to market themselves as Western-style painters upon returning from Europe, he continued to paint Japanese-style paintings throughout his life.