Artist – Utagawa KUNIAKI -II) (歌 川国明 二代) was born in 1835 (Tempo 6). KUNIAKI-II was an ukiyo-e printmaker of the Utagawa school, from Tempo to late Meiji era. In 1847 he entered the school of Toyokuni-III (Kunisada). and in the course of his studies adopted the the artist name KUNIAKI, with "KUNI" as reverence to his master Toyokuni-III (Kunisada). His works are difficult if ever, to distinguish from KUNIAKI-I. It's debatable, if KUNIAKI-I and KUNIAKI-II are the same person.

KUNIAKI (sometimes HACHISUKA KUNIAKI) is known for his Yokohama prints (Yokohama-e), genre prints , Sumo prints, and Toy prints (omocha-e). In his later years he made several well known triptychs depicting the modernisation during the Meiji Era. He is known to have been collaborating with Kobayashi Kiyochika, Toyohara Kunichika, Inoue Tankei, Mizuno Toshikata, Yoshitoshi and Toyohara Chikanobu in a well known nishiki-e series named "Kyodō risshi no motoi" (教導立志基は) or 'Instruction in the Fundamentals of Success / An Educational Account of Self-Made Men', issued 1883 to 1889 by Matsuki Heikichi.


Personal life -  His childhood name was HIRASAWA OnoJiro (平沢 斧二郎), and after adoption by the HACHISUKA family as HACHISUKA OnoJiro (蜂須賀 斧 二郎). Due to a mistake in translation, he is sometimes named the younger brother of KUNIAKI-I. KUNIAKI died at the early age of 54 on the 29th of July in 1888.


Aliases - KUNIAKI's childhood name was HIRASAWA OnoJiro (平沢 斧二郎), later HACHISUKA OnoJiro (蜂須賀 斧 二郎), and HACHISUKA KUNIAKI (蜂須賀 国明). He also used sometimes Hōsai (鳳斎), Ippōsai (一鳳斎), Ichiōsai (一凰齋), Oju (應需) and Onojirō (斧二郎)  as epithets to his ga-names. Most of his works have been signed as "Kuniaki-ga" ("国明 画").
 

Disciples -  no known disciples