Due to his interest in the expression of Western paintings, Insho experimented with oil paints and watercolors from the early years of his artistic career. This is obvious from the fact that he used oil paints to depict Osaka townscapes and painted self-portraits and his relatives' portraits in oils in the early years of the Showa era, well before he established himself as a painter. Yet, it was during his stay in Europe, where he encountered foreign townscapes and daily scenes, that he produced oils and watercolors in the most concentrated manner.