Maeda Masao was born in 1904 in the port city of Hakodate, Hokkaido, and expressed interest in artistry from an early age. In 1923, he met Hiratsuka Un'ichi, a leading figure of the sosaku hanga movement. This fateful encounter galvanized Maeda to continue pursuing his artistic passions. The following year, Maeda moved to Tokyo, where he enrolled in the Kawabata Painting school. Over the next several years, he became a student of Hiratsuka's and provided him with administrative support in the print division of the annual Kokugakai exhibition. By 1927, Maeda's oil paintings were being featured in Kokugakai. Although his initial interest was in oil painting, it was through his close association with Hiratsuka that Maeda developed an interest in hanga and wood carving (a skill for which he would later become quite renowned). In 1939, Maeda joined Hiratsuka's Yoyogi-ha group and continued to display oil paintings and hanga throughout the 1940s. Throughout his professional career, Maeda Masao was a key contributor to HANGA, Kitsutsuki in 1930, Kitsutsuki Hangashu from 1942 to 1943, and later Ichimokushu from 1947 to 1950. Additional works were displayed by the Tokyo Print Biennale and various organizations around the world. In terms of subject matter, Maeda is most known for his striking landscapes (particularly mountains, similar to fellow artist Azechi Umetaro) such as Mountain Peak (date unknown), Rain at Mount Moiwa (1932), and Eight Views of Hokkaido (c. 1930s).