Tanomura Chikuden (1777 to 1835) was a Japanese painter of the late Edo period, recognized as one of the leading figures of the Nanga (literati painting) tradition.

Born on July 14, 1777, in Takeda-mura, Naoiri-gun, Bungo Province, present day Taketa City, Oita Prefecture, Japan, his original name was Tanomura Koken. He was the second son of Nomura Sekian, a Confucian doctor of the Oka Domain. He started reading at the age of six and entered the domain academy Yugakukan at age eleven, where his poetic talent was recognized. Early in life he planned to become a Confucian scholar but also studied painting with a bunjin-ga painter Tani Bunchō and later took what would now be called a correspondence course with the noted Bunjin-ga painter Tani Buncho in Edo.

He served as a Confucian scholar at Yugakukan and eventually became its president, and was also involved in the compilation of the historical record Bungo Kokushi. In 1801 he moved to Edo to prepare for this project, visiting Kimura Kenkado in Osaka and Tani Buncho in Edo. From 1805 he traveled to Kyoto, stopping at Hakata, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kokura and Shimonoseki, studying Confucianism and eye disease treatment. In Osaka he became acquainted with Uragami Gyokudo, Okada Beisanjin, Ueda Akinari and others. In 1811 he met Rai Sanyo and they became close friends.

In 1811, a peasant uprising broke out in Oka Domain against the monopoly system. Chikuden twice submitted written petitions calling for reform including relief for farmers and promotion of learning. When his suggestions were not accepted, he resigned in 1812 citing medical treatment, and retired at age 37 in 1813. He was given a nominal retirement salary of two koku, showing the trust placed in him. Thereafter he traveled between Bungo and the Kansai region, interacting with literary figures including Okada Hanko, Uragami Shunkin, Kan Chazan and Aoki Mokubei. In 1825 at age 50 he traveled to Nagasaki to study Chinese painting techniques from visiting Nagasaki school painters. His artistic style respected the Four Masters of the Yuan dynasty and Mi Youren of the Song dynasty. By learning various painting styles through his wide interactions, he expanded his field to include landscapes, figures, and flowers and birds, and through realism expressed the essence of literati painting. In his later years he achieved a delicate style that emphasized gentle brushstrokes and a melancholic tone. He is noted for gentle, melancholic renderings of nature, with best known works including his Kacho-zu series of bird and flower paintings and Kojin-zu series, and Boating on the Inagawa River from 1829.

He was closely associated with southern painters in Osaka and Kyoto, such as Rai Sanyo, Okada Beisanjin, Uragami Gyokudo, and Aoki Mokubei, who guided him toward becoming a great literati painter. Among his pupils were Takahashi Sohei, Hoashi Kyou, and Tanomura Chokunyu.

Among his notable works are Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden, Returning to the Mountains, Accompanied by Cranes, Pair of Cranes in Bamboo Grove, Rainstorm over a River Village, Stormy Crossing, and Monkey Offering a Qin to Scholar. Chikuden was also an important writer on painting. His writings included Sanchujin Jozetsu, translated as Chatter of a Mountain Dweller, and Chikuden Shoshi Yuroku, through which he recorded his views on painting, artists, and artistic principles.

Tanomura Chikuden died on October 20, 1835, in Osaka at the age of 58, leaving behind a body of work that continues to be celebrated for its gentle, melancholic renderings of nature and its embodiment of literati ideals. His legacy is preserved at Chikudenso Villa, his birthplace and atelier on a small hill in southern Taketa, Oita, in the foothills of Mount Aso. The villa and his grave, located about 490 meters southwest, were designated together as a National Historic Site in 1948. His works are held in major Japanese and international collections and are recognized as important examples of late Edo-period Nanga painting.