Wow, Hokusai! See, Examine, and Discover Ukiyo-e

Michi
22 時間前
読了時間: 3分

The Sumida Hokusai Museum (Sumida City, Tokyo) holds Exhibition "Wow, Hokusai See, Examine, and Discover Ukiyo-e" from June 24 to August 31, 2025.

Katsushika Hokusai, one of Japan's renowned artists of Ukiyo-e, skillfully utilized numerous artistic devices to astonish his viewers.

Now are you ready for the sensational moments that await you?

First, you will look at his pictures, examine each work carefully, and discover something astonishing within his art.

Prologue Ukiyo-e and Hokusai: A Quick Guide

What are Ukiyo-e?

The term ukiyo came to describe the contemporary or present day by the time Hokusai was alive in the Edo period.

Ukiyo-e are depictions of the everyday life and pleasures of the common people in the Edo period, and they primarily consist of nikuhitsu-ga (brush-drawn paintings) and mokuhanga (woodblock prints).

Individual woodblock-printed books are known as hanpon, such as Sketches by Hokusai.

The artists who drew ukiyo-e are called ukiyo-eshi.

Ukiyo-e are created through the collaborative efforts of a specialized team:

the artist, eshi who designed the image; the carver, horishi who meticulously carved the design onto the wooden blocks; the printer, surishi who applied inks and pressed the paper; and the publisher, hunmoto, who financed, promoted, and distributed the prints.

Who was Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)?

Hokusai was an ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, renowned for his woodblock prints, paintings, and book illustrations. He is most famous for his iconic series, "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji". He made debut as an ukiyo-e artist at the age of 20 and remained active until his death at nearly ninety. His work profoundly influenced Impressionist painters in the West in the late 19th century.

First, see Hokusai's works

Wow! Repeated triangles of waves resembling Mount Fuji?!

Hokusai cleverly uses perspective to position the sacred Mount Fuji in the background as a small, stable, and tranquil triangular figure. This creates a powerful contrast between the immense power of triangular waves in the foreground and the serene, small presence of Mount Fuji.

This is worldwide known as The Great Wave, of which depiction has been featured on the back of Japan's \1000 note since July 2024.

Note what's different

Wow!! The same title, but each picture is a little different!

Hokusai depicted Mount Fuji at the center, with clouds floating in the blue sky behind it while thunder rumbling in the foothills. By contrasting two weather conditions around Mount Fuji, he successfully highlighted its vastness and immobility.

The Sumida Hokusai Museum based its logo design on the depiction of lightning bolt.

3. Look at the picture, and what do you discover?