Kano-ha had been the most big and most influencial school in the Japanese art history from the mid-muromachi (14c) through the meiji period (19c) . The school was flourished with strong supports by the fudal administrations over the years, whereas Tosa-ha is the leading school in the yamato-e or traditional Japanese art supported by aristocracy.

Hasegawa-ha was established by Hasegawa Tohaku during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in the late 16th century. He learned yamato-e (traditional Japanese painting) style and Chinese drawing style and revived classical suiboku-ga or drawing in Indian ink.