{"id":14405,"date":"2017-05-16T12:43:10","date_gmt":"2017-05-16T11:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=14405"},"modified":"2022-02-11T11:27:44","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T11:27:44","slug":"great-wave-hokusai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/16\/great-wave-hokusai\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Wave: 10 things you didn&#8217;t know about Hokusai"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>The image of Hokusai&#8217;s majestic wave arcing a dwarfed Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic representations of Japan, and arguably the most famous piece of Japanese art internationally.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Great Wave off Kanagawa<\/em> has reproduction prints, keyrings, backpacks, t-shirts, scarves, cushions and phone cases (we even found it on a pair of pants). It\u2019s left such an impression that there are countless Great Wave tattoos and it has been immortalised as an Apple emoji.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-14453 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/the-wave-150x150.png\" alt=\"Apple Wave Emoji, inspired by Hokusai\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/the-wave-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/the-wave.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Many though have little knowledge about the artist himself. With a new exhibition coming to the British Museum in London, and the recently opened Sumida Hokusai museum in Tokyo, we\u2019re taking a look beyond the wave with 10 top Katushika Hokusai facts.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Katsushika Hokusai wasn\u2019t his only name\u2026<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14445\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14445\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14445 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-720x488.jpg\" alt=\"Nakahara in Sagami Province by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-720x488.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-1024x694.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-564x382.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-1200x813.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-900x610.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-1440x976.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-390x264.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-780x529.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province-510x346.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Nakahara-in-Sagami-Province.jpg 1928w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14445\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Nakahara in Sagami Province<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hokusai went by more than 30 names throughout his career including Shunro, Sori, Kako, Taito, Gakyojin, Iitsu, and Manji. Towards the end of his life, he went by Gakyojin, \u201cI used to call myself Hokusai, but today I sign myself \u201cThe Old Man Mad about Drawing\u201d\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>2. <em>The Great Wave<\/em> is one of a series<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14418\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14418\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14418 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-720x490.jpg\" alt=\"South Wind, Clear Sky by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-720x490.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-1024x696.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-564x384.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-1200x816.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-900x612.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-1440x979.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-390x265.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-780x531.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/3-510x347.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>South Wind, Clear Sky<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>The Great Wave off Kanagawa<\/em> isn\u2019t actually a stand-alone piece, but just one image in a print-series called <em>Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. His work influenced many artists in the west<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14424\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14424\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14424 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of Claude Debussy La Mer manuscript\" width=\"600\" height=\"786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer.jpg 600w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer-229x300.jpg 229w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer-431x564.jpg 431w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer-390x511.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Claude-Debussy-La-Mer-510x668.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14424\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Cover of Claude Debussy<\/em> La Mer<em> manuscript<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>The Great Wave <\/em>uses a blue pigment imported from Prussia,<em>\u00a0<\/em>but\u00a0it\u00a0was actually painted between 1830-32 during Sakoku, a period of time when Japan was secluded from the rest of the world.<\/p>\n<p>When the borders opened in the 1850s, Hokusai\u2019s\u00a0work was recognised\u00a0by his European contemporaries; Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec became collectors and Vincent Van Gogh\u2019s own work was heavily influenced.<\/p>\n<p>Claude Debussy was even inspired to write <em>La mer<\/em> after seeing <em>The Great Wave<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/newsletter\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-32153\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2400\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-300x60.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-1024x205.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-768x154.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-564x113.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-1536x307.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-2048x410.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-1200x240.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-900x180.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-720x144.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-1440x288.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-390x78.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-780x156.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Newsletter_SignUp_Banner-4-510x102.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>4. He had planned to live until 110<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14426\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14426\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14426 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-720x496.jpg\" alt=\"Poppies by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-720x496.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-768x529.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-564x389.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-1200x827.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-900x620.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-1440x992.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-390x269.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-780x537.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4-510x351.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14426\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Poppies<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hokusai\u2019s date of birth is believed to be 30 October 1760, but even he wasn&#8217;t completely sure! Despite being 70 when he painted his seminal series <em>Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji<\/em>, he was convinced that he wouldn\u2019t see his best work until he reached 110.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I am 80 you will see real progress. At 90 I shall have cut my way deeply into the mystery of life itself. At 100, I shall be a marvellous artist. At 110, everything I create; a dot, a line, will jump to life as never before. To all of you who are going to live as long as I do, I promise to keep my word. I am writing this in my old age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t see 110, passing away on 10 May 1849 at the age of 90. On his deathbed, he reportedly said \u201cif heaven had granted me five more years, I could have become a real painter\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>5. He was one of the first users of the term \u201cmanga\u201d<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14427\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14427\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14427 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-720x547.jpg\" alt=\"Hokusai Manga by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-720x547.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-768x583.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-564x428.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-390x296.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga-510x387.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Hokusai-manga.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14427\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Hokusai Manga<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Between 1814\u201319 he created an illustrated series titled <em>Hokusai Manga<\/em>, with amusing images for his students and other aspiring artists to copy. It became a best-seller and one of the earliest recorded uses of the term <em>manga &#8211;<\/em>\u00a0unrelated to the modern comic book equivalent!<\/p>\n<h2>6. Hokusai was a Buddhist<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14430\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14430\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14430 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-720x484.jpg\" alt=\"Misaka Suimen by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-720x484.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-564x379.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-390x262.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-780x525.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi-510x343.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Lake-Kawaguchi.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14430\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Misaka Suimen<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hokusai followed the <em>Nichiren<\/em> school of Buddhism and it is believed that his repeated representations of Mount Fuji, and the name Hokusai are related to religious symbolism. In 1804, he also created a 600ft (180m) portrait of Buddhist priest Daruma for a festival in Tokyo using a broom and buckets of ink.<\/p>\n<h2>7. He produced 30,000 pieces of work<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14433\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14433\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14433 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-720x490.jpg\" alt=\"Ejiri in Suruga Province by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-720x490.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-564x384.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-390x265.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-780x530.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province-510x347.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Ejiri-in-Suruga-Province.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14433\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Ejiri in Suruga Province<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Long days and a long life allowed Hokusai to amass an incredible 30,000 pieces of work, but unfortunately, a fire in 1839 destroyed many of his pieces.<\/p>\n<h2>8. <em>Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji<\/em> is on rotation<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14442\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14442\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14442 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-720x473.jpg\" alt=\"Kajikazawa in Kai Province by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"720\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-720x473.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-768x505.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-1024x673.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-564x371.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-1200x789.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-900x591.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-1440x946.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-390x256.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-780x513.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Kajikazawa-in-Kai-Province-1-510x335.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14442\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Kajikazawa in Kai Province<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The remaining copies of <em>The Great Wave<\/em> vary in quality and colour intensity; woodblocks degrade over time so early prints tend to be brighter and more defined. There are\u00a0few remaining early pieces from the series, so the prints are exhibited on rotation to protect the colour.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Hokusai\u2019s daughter was also an artist<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14438\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14438\" style=\"width: 688px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14438 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei.jpg\" alt=\"Three Women Playing Musical Instruments by Katsushika Oei\" width=\"688\" height=\"478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei.jpg 688w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei-564x392.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei-390x271.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/%E2%80%9CThree-Women-Playing-Musical-Instruments%E2%80%9D-by-Katsushika-Oei-510x354.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14438\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Three Women Playing Musical Instruments by Katsushika Oei<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hokusai\u2019s daughter Eijo (art name \u014ci) was also a gifted artist and moved in with her father to work alongside him in his later years. Her life is immortalised in the manga series and anime film <em>Miss Hokusai<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2>10. <em>The Great Wave<\/em> wasn\u2019t the only wave<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14441\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14441\" style=\"width: 706px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14441 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi.jpg\" alt=\"A Wild Sea at Choshi by Katsushika Hokusai \" width=\"706\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi.jpg 706w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi-564x397.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi-390x275.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/A-Wild-Sea-at-Choshi-510x359.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 706px) 100vw, 706px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14441\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A Wild Sea at Choshi<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Throughout his career, Hokusai also depicted waves in <em>Ch\u014dshi in Shim\u014dsa Province, Kajikazawa in Kai Province<\/em> and <em>Ono No Takamura<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Take our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/experience-japan\/i-aa100-16\/insider-experience-tokyo-art-scene-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tokyo art scene tour<\/a> to get beneath the surface of renowned art galleries, architecturally unique places and exclusive exhibitions with an insider from this magical city.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F14405\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The image of Hokusai&#8217;s majestic wave arcing a dwarfed Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic representations of Japan, and arguably the most famous piece of Japanese art internationally. The Great Wave off Kanagawa has reproduction prints, keyrings, backpacks, t-shirts, scarves, cushions and phone cases (we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2525,2367],"tags":[2645,3117,3120],"class_list":["post-14405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-arts-and-entertainment","category-japanese-culture-and-history","tag-art-in-japan","tag-hokusai","tag-the-great-wave"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14405"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32231,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14405\/revisions\/32231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}