On a visit to the Garden Museum in London, Peter Russell encountered a small, quietly compelling painting in the museum’s gallery: April, Sunday in the Park by Yoshio Markino. At first glance, it appeared Victorian in spirit, with hints of French Impressionism and a sensitive handling of mist, until the artist’s name raised an unexpected question. Why was a Japanese painter working in London around 1900, and painting in a distinctly European style? What began as a moment of curiosity became a sustained investigation, drawing on Peter’s expertise in research and information retrieval. The result is a study of some thirty Japanese artists who came to Europe after Japan opened to the West in the 1850s, tracing their societies, mentors, and lives — including Markino himself, who became a celebrated figure in Edwardian London and a distinctive voice in its cultural life.