Episode 3: Hokusai – The Life and Works of an Ukiyo-e Master
Hello and welcome to Japan Media Tour. I’m your host Stephen T. M., and today we’re going to be talking about Hokusai, possibly the most famous Japanese visual artist of all time -Katsushika Hokusai, usually known mononymously as Hokusai, was part
Of the Edo Period art movement called Ukiyo-e -Hokusai is surely most famous for his piece, Under the Wave Off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, or simply, the Great Wave -He is well-known for the Prussian Blue pigment he employed so masterfully in that,
And many of his other works -Hokusai was also a major influence on artists the world over, both in his own time, and to this day -Now, before we jump into it I just want to chat a little bit about natural disasters in Japan,
Starting with the recent earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture that disrupted the peace of the New Year holiday on January 1st, 2024 -At the time of this recording, most sources are saying it was around a magnitude 7.6
-As soon as it happened a lot of people in Japan were worried it could be the next 3-1-1 disaster, which is the common name given to the Fukushima tsunami in 2011 -And in fact media outlets are reporting that this recent earthquake was nearly as powerful
-Luckily it didn’t cause that catastrophic level of destruction. That being said, dozens of people lost their lives, and many more were displaced from their homes. -It really does make you realize how fragile life can be, especially in such a disaster prone area as Japan -I’ve been lucky enough to have only
Felt very minor earthquakes in my life, but they were still quite jarring to me, as we almost never had any earthquakes where I grew up in Canada -I wonder how living in a place where natural disasters occur more frequently changes one’s relationship with nature, and perhaps
We can explore that more in a future episode -Earthquakes and other forces of nature such as typhoons have certainly shaped the history of Japan – just ask the Mongols whose fleets were destroyed by typhoons whilst they were attempting to invade Japan in the 13th century
-These two typhoons, in 1274 and 1281 became known as the Kamikaze, or divine wind -And of course, this term was later used to refer to suicide attacks carried out by Japanese pilots in World War 2 -Though natural disasters are rare, the looming threat of typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis is always there
-So let’s get into it – let’s talk about Hokusai -Katsushika Hokusai was born in Edo, which is the former name of Tokyo, in the year 1760 -He was an integral part of the Ukiyo-e art movement, which translates to “pictures of the floating world”
-The “floating world” here referring to a hedonistic lifestyle led by those who visited brothels and kabuki theatres, and the life of leisure that even the middle and lower classes could now enjoy in the more prosperous Edo Period -The most famous ukiyo-e pieces were woodblock
Prints, which exploded in popularity due to the fact that they were cheaper than paintings, which were still mostly reserved for nobles -Ukiyo-e artists created pieces featuring a wide variety of subjects, such as beautiful women, nature, and scenes from folklore
-Hokusai himself covered a lot of these topics, but his most famous pieces today are surely those which depicted the power and the beauty of nature -In fact, early ukiyo-e was often focused on celebrities, and Hokusai is arguably the one who caused the shift away from this
And toward a focus on the natural world -So much so that woodblock prints became popular souvenirs, or omiyage, when people went on trips, and in turn, woodblock prints inspired many people to travel domestically throughout Japan, sort of like advertising for different areas of the country -This meant that the prints needed to be
Small enough to be portable. The Great Wave itself is only about 25 to 38cm -Travel within Japan rose significantly at this time, similar to what we saw during the Covid era -Hokusai’s work also inspired many people to go on pilgrimages to Mount Fuji, shifting ukiyo-e
Away from a cult of the celebrity, and more toward a spiritual worship of the mountain -Of course, Fuji was always worshipped like a God, Hokusai’s work just amplified that sentiment -So I’d say that in order to understand Hokusai we need to understand Ukiyo-e,
And to understand Ukiyo-e, we need to understand the Edo period as a whole. -I spoke a little bit about the Edo Period in the episode on the film Lady Snowblood, and I’ll go a little further into it here -My hope is that by connecting different
Works of art over the ages, we can have a better understanding of the reality of Japanese life in those eras, and how it connects to the modern age -Now, there are many different historiographies delineating different start and end dates to different periods in Japanese history,
But just to simplify things, the Edo Period came after the Sengoku Jidai, also known as the Warring States Period -For reference, the anime Inuyasha is set in the Sengoku Jidai – and as the name suggests, it was a time of civil war and unrest across Japan
-I think that’s my second Inuyasha reference in just 3 episodes, so it’s probably time I watch some new anime -So, in contrast to the Warring States period, the Edo period, which began in1603, and ended in 1868 was a time of peace and prosperity throughout the land -However, the Edo Period was
Also a time of strict isolationist policies, cutting Japan off from the rest of the world -This of course had its pros and cons, but it certainly led to artists like Hokusai developing very unique artistic techniques -In the early part of the Edo period there
Was more trade with Europeans, but by 1635 only a select number of ports remained open -As well, no Japanese were permitted to travel abroad, and if they left, they were never to return -One reason for this was a fear of the spread
Of christianity, and to this day you can still see anti-christian signs up in certain historical areas around Japan -For example, I saw a sign in Gifu that said you’d get a reward if you turned a Christian in to the authorities
-I think this goes without saying but obviously these signs are left up for their historical significance and the rewards are no longer offered -Sidenote, it’s an interesting time to study the Edo period’s isolationist policy as the world in 2024 seems to be dialling back globalization, leading to the fragmentation of previously interconnected economies
-One more thing that makes Edo interesting to study at the moment is that during this time Japan’s population growth eventually slowed to almost zero, kind of like a less extreme version of what is happening now, though for vastly different reasons
-I haven’t looked into this enough to make any predictions about the future, but it will be interesting to see if history repeats itself -So, during the Edo period, people flocked to the city of Edo, the new capital of Japan, and it became one of the most populous in the world,
With an estimated 1 million inhabitants -At this time the lower classes became able to afford small luxuries, such as art and entertainment -This is when entertainment such as kabuki theatre and geisha houses, or okiya, grew in popularity -And so it’s fitting that these were some of the main subjects of the Ukiyo-e movement
-Artists like Moronobu Hishikawa and Masanobu Okumura focused on these, and became huge influences on the artists, like Hiroshige and Hokusai who came after them -While Hokusai touched on those same topics, he became world famous for his landscapes, the Great
Wave Off Kanagawa being the most famous of these -Something that a lot of people don’t realize about the Great Wave is that it’s actually part of a larger series called Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, which is funny because of how Fuji-san just sort of blends into the background of the piece
-You could almost mistake it for just another wave at first glance -In the piece you can see the power of nature as expressed by the giant waves rising up seemingly above even Mt. Fuji, and crashing over the helpless seafarers below
-Fuji-san appearing so minute in the picture makes you feel like the fisherman are far out at sea and that they might never make it back to dry land -The Great Wave is an ominous work, and not quite
So serene as a lot of other Ukiyo-e pieces -Aside from an expression of the power of nature or even natural disasters, it likely also represents the widespread fear of foreign invasion in Edo era Japan -This piece was not just influential domestically,
But also abroad, most notably in Europe -After the end of the isolationist Edo Period, Hokusai’s work managed to find itself in the hands of European artists, most notably the post-impressionist Vincent Van Gogh -I know I’m pronouncing his name wrong,
But I’m too scared to attempt to say it correctly -The popularity of Japanese art, especially woodblock prints, was known as Japonism, or Japonisme, and Van Gogh actually coined the term Japonaiserie to refer to the influence of Japanese art on his own paintings -This includes some direct copies Van Gogh made of Japanese prints,
Especially by the artist Hiroshige -In other works by Van Gogh, the influence is not quite as obvious, but, as they say, once you see it, you won’t be able to unsee it -Examining Hokusai’s Great Wave and Van Gogh’s Starry Night side-by-side is a revelation
-First off, you’ll notice the similarity in the shape of the wave in the former’s piece and in the swirling clouds of the latter -Next, the use of blue, namely Prussian Blue, perhaps the signature pigment of Hokusai -This is an important point, because the fact
That Prussian Blue was of European origin shows the two-way exchange of materials and information between Japanese and European artists, as well as those in other areas of the world -In fact the story of Prussian Blue itself is fascinating, you should
Research it if you have some spare time. -So just one more note on the comparison between The Great Wave and Starry Night – the majesty of nature – Look at the huge wave in Hokusai’s work, and the vast sky in Van Gogh’s, completely consuming everything
That is man made in each of these pieces -I can’t decide if they make me want to venture out into the great outdoors or hide in my basement in fear of the outside world like a Hikikomori
-It wasn’t just Van Gogh – a lot of other European artists were heavily influenced by Japanese style, including two of my favourites, Paul Gauguin and Edouard Vuillard -And although nowadays we might see Ukiyo-e as the quintessential Japanese art form, in Edo Period Japan it was actually seen as a radically Western-influenced style
-Ukiyo-e artists used Western techniques and perspective to create their pieces, as opposed to the traditional Japanese styles that were favoured by the nobility -The fact that this Western-influenced style of Japanese art appeared at a time when Japan was almost completely closed off from the rest of the world just makes it more powerful
-I love to see the influence between Japanese and Western art bouncing back and forth over the ages, creating new and distinct styles, from Ukiyo-e, to impressionism, to Disney cartoons, to modern anime -All right so I’ve only talked about one of Hokusai’s pieces thus far – my apologies
-Fine Wind, Clear Morning, also known as Red Fuji is likely his second most famous woodblock print, and is part of the series 36 Views of Mount Fuji, along with The Great Wave -While The Great Wave is sometimes referred to as a study of Prussian Blue, Fine Wind, Clear
Morning contrasts the famous blue pigment with a rusty-looking red, which he used for Mount Fuji -As the name of the piece suggests, this one is much more calm and serene, lacking the intensity of The Great Wave -That being said, Hokusai still manages to
Create a palpable atmosphere, and you can almost see the clouds drifting slowly behind Fuji-san -Of course, the best way to enjoy the 36 Views of Mount Fuji series is to look at them together -It’s amazing how Hokusai transforms Fuji and seems to dress it up in different clothes,
Painting it from different angles and in different colours, making it feel as though the mountain itself is alive -This is no accident either, if you’re familiar with Japanese Shintoism then you’ll know that in this belief system everything has spirits called “kami” inside, so everything seems to be alive, to have a soul
-Kami are not just in objects, but also in the forces of nature, such as the wind -If you can, look at Hokusai’s Ejiri in Suruga Province, which depicts travellers walking down a meandering path, fighting off heavy winds as their hats and loose sheets of paper fly away – you
Can almost see the kami carrying these papers aloft in the form of a powerful gust of wind -In all of these scenes, or views of Mount Fuji, the mountain itself is both the observed and the observer, as it stands still and watches the world unfold all around it like a God
-By the way, Hokusai was in his 70s when a lot of his great masterpieces were made -In fact, a quote that’s commonly attributed to the artist states that nothing he did before the age of 70 was worthy of attention -Hokusai has also had a huge influence on Japanese
Tattoos, which have also spread all over the world -In fact, Ukiyo-e has always had a give-and-take relationship with tattooing, perhaps most notably with the work of Hokusai’s contemporary, Kuniyoshi, who often included tattooed figures in his woodblock prints
-By the way, Kuniyoshi is extremely sick, I’ll definitely give him his own episode in the future -Go check out his work if you can – you’ll probably recognize his masterpiece Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre -What an incredible piece – you can see the
Influence that one has on modern manga as well -Speaking of manga – Hokusai made those too -They weren’t really like modern manga with a story running through them from beginning to end, but more like a series of sketches – maybe more like a modern zine
-The first volume of Hokusai’s manga was published in 1814, and they made it to the Western World by the mid-19th Century -These are obviously huge collector’s items and they made a few people in Europe very, very wealthy -20 years after making his first manga, he published One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji,
One of his undeniable masterpieces, not to be confused with the aforementioned 36 Views -100 Views is a little more dreamlike, and less realistic than its predecessor -More than just showing the natural world as it is – this series adds a
Little bit of magic to it. Again, you can feel the influence of shintoism in these -Hokusai and other ukiyo-e artists also left an indelible mark on Japanese fashion, both in their own era, and today -Although they were seen as lower on
The social hierarchy, actors and geisha were the fashion models of their day -Ukiyo-e artists depicted these individuals in their woodblock prints, and other members of Japanese society sought to emulate their style -More recently, fashion designers such as the legendary Yohji Yamamoto have used Edo era motifs in their creations, and the style
Continues to be revered the world over -Sidenote here, one of Yohji’s most famous collections is actually centred around Meiji Era art, the period that followed Edo -These pieces are really cool and worth checking out, though I’m sure they’re also ridiculously expensive -Anyway, let’s go back to basics a
Bit and talk about Hokusai’s life -Hokusai was an eccentric man, even when compared to his fellow artists. It is said that he had over 100 houses, and that he never cleaned, but rather he would move to a new place once his house became too messy
-As well as his many residences, it is often said that he changed his name over 30 times over the course of his life -While it was commonplace for Edo era Japanese to change names often, Hokusai took it to another level
-The thought was that one would change his name upon reaching a new level of status or a new chapter in his life -This also gives us a little insight into Hokusai’s philosophy on life – he was always comparing himself at any point in time,
To younger versions of himself, and the art that he made at those times. -Changing your name many times is almost like having many lives, or many passing seasons in one life -Many of the seasons of Hokusai’s
Life were fraught with tragedy, as he had two wives pass away while he was still quite young -Some of his children also died before him. I didn’t dig into this much, but it’s probably due to the fact that he exceeded the average lifespan at the time by a few decades
-He did have a close call with an early death at least once though, as he was struck by lightning when he was around 50 years old -Perhaps it was the time he spent thinking about death and the afterlife that led him to create many works full
Of ghosts and monsters, known as “yokai” -These are somewhat similar to Kuniyoshi’s work in terms of subject matter, though Hokusai would probably hate to hear that as he was a member of the Katsushika School and wanted to differentiate himself from
The Utagawa School of which Kuniyoshi was a part -In fact there’s even a story that says Kuniyoshi tried to approach Hokusai out of respect, but that Hokusai didn’t want to speak with him due to the rivalry that was passed down from their respective masters and the tradition of
Rivalry between the two schools of Ukiyo-e -Anyway, ghost stories were very popular in the Edo Era, and artists like Hokusai wanted to capture the essence of these spirits in their prints -Hokusai created a series of yokai prints called
100 Ghost Stories – these are obviously really dope, with one of my favourites being Kohada Keiji -This one depicts the ghost of a kabuki actor who was murdered by his wife’s paramour -He’s kind of like a skeleton ghost, pulling down a mosquito net with his bony claws and peering
Over with a twisted sort of smile on his face -Most of this series has unfortunately been lost to the ages, but the remaining ones are all really cool and worth checking out. -You can also see the connection between the yokai in ukiyo-e woodblock prints and the
Creatures in movies such as Spirited Away or even in the Pokemon games -Hokusai really did it all, he even made some erotic art, which is called shunga -The most famous of these is probably The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife, which some of
You freaks out there will probably recognize -I’m not going to get too deep into this, but again, his work in this space definitely had an impact on more modern erotic manga -The ukiyo-e movement had a resurgence called Shin Hanga
In the Taisho and Showa eras of the early 1900s -Artists revisited woodblock printing, adding more Western elements than those who came before them -By this time in history Japan was in its empire building phase, and so was no longer closed off from the rest of the world
-Because of this, a lot of shin hanga art was actually aimed at Western audiences, and this was reflected in the style, though the subject matter remained very much the same -One of the most famous artists associated with this movement was Kawase Hasui, who we’ll
Probably talk about at some point down the line -So I don’t really think I can overstate the impact of Hokusai and his contemporaries. Quite frankly it’s hard to imagine what contemporary Japanese society would even look like without his influence – probably a lot more bland and boring
-I guess I should tell you about his tragic end before we wrap up -In 1839 there was a fire at his studio which destroyed a bunch of his work -Even still, at the age of 78, he kept pushing to create more great works, apparently even saying on
His deathbed that if he had only had 5 or 10 more years he could have created some real masterpieces -Hokusai ended up having to pay off the substantial gambling debts of his grandson, and may have died without a penny, or rather a sen to his name,
Much like the Dutch artist who would later come to admire him so much, Vincent Van Gogh -Hokusai’s death really marked the end of an era, as just a few short years later Matthew Perry’s fleet would show up on Japan’s doorstep and demand access to the island nation
-So that’s it for our Hokusai episode, I hope you enjoyed it. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we mention his name as I plan to do episodes on some of his contemporaries, and as Hokusai is basically inseparable from any conversation about Japanese art
-This week’s recommendation might be a little too on the nose, but I’ve decided to go with, of course, the Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo -Rather than giving you some clever connection between Hokusai and a random onigiri spot in Hakone or something,
I’m just going to send you straight to the source by telling you to go check out Hokusai’s works in person if you get the chance -The museum is located near Ryogoku Station in the Sumida City area in the East end of Tokyo -This is the area in which Hokusai was born
-At the museum you can see some of the works we talked about today, such as The Great Wave and Red Fuji -You know what, I’ll also throw in an extra recommendation – Just a few blocks west of the museum there’s a
Nice little spot called Tonkatsu Hasegawa -There might be a little wait but it won’t be too bad, not like some of the really popular ramen shops where the line goes around the block -They’ve also got an English menu, so if you don’t speak Japanese, you’re all set, and you can get
Yourself a nice curry katsu or something -There was so much information on Hokusai it was honestly hard to decide what to leave in and what to leave out -We’ll definitely have to revisit Ukiyo-e at some point -As for next week we’ll be taking our foot off the gas a little bit
And looking at the melodic rock band Supercar -I won’t say much for now, but I’ll just tell you that your homework is to listen to their song Lucky, which in my opinion is practically perfect -So, until then, thank you very much for listening, this is Stephen T. M.,
Signing off, and I’ll see you next time for, Supercar
In episode three we travel back to the Edo Period to find out why The Great Wave Off Kanagawa is worth the hype. We look at how Hokusai changed both Japanese and Western art and culture forever. Other topics include natural disasters, foreign invaders, manga, and ghost stories.
PS: I said Kohada Keiji, but the skeleton ghost is actually called Kohada Koheiji.
Sumida Hokusai Museum:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eDvq8PStez8oPcaW7
Tonkatsu Hasegawa
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MhLD4uUsKSLJFbLD8