葛 飾 北 斎

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI

富嶽三十六景

THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI

Contents

  • About Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji 
  • When was it produced?
  • What is Fugaku Sanjurokkei?
  • Why Mount Fuji?
  • The beauty of beroai blue fascinates the world
  • Highlights of the series
  • Woodblock prints list

About Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Series
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
(Fugaku Sanjurokkei)

Artist
Katsushika Hokusai

Total number of prints

All forty-six prints

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景, Fugaku Sanjurokkei) is a series of woodblock prints illustrating the various landscapes of Mount Fuji, and it is among the most famous works of ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎: 1760-1849). 

The series, as a whole, is also considered to be an iconic representation of the landscape ukiyo-e genre.
Many of you may recognize some of the pieces even if you aren’t familiar with their exact titles.
The famous print of the Great Wave is known to many people around the world, but it is just one of the 46 scenes in the series.

With these intriguing facts, it’s no wonder people around the world find Hokusai’s famous landscape series so inspiring. Of the series, the three prints Under the Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏, Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura), Rainstorm Beneath the Summit (山下白雨, Sanka Hakuu), and South Wind, Clear Weather (凱風快晴, Gaifu Kaisei) are collectively called the Sanyaku (三役, three major works) and have acquired high acclaim both in Japan and abroad as works of exceptional artistic quality.

Under the Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏, Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura)

South Wind, Clear Sky (凱風快晴, Gaifu Kaisei)

Rainstorm Beneath the Summit (山下白雨, Sanka Hakuu)

Highlights of the series

1. Beroai

Most of the works of the Mount Fuji series are painted using beroai, and of those prints, ten are aizuri-e, a type of ukiyo-e printed in varying shades of beroai blue.
Aizuri-e is a type of ukiyo-e printed only with different tints and shades of blue or with minimal use of an additional red and/or yellow. 

List of Woodblock Prints No.10 to No.20 

2. Hokusai’s mastery of artistic expression

The woodblock prints capture the various facets of Mount Fuji as it shifts its appearance at every moment depending on the location, season, and weather condition. However, you would not be able to pinpoint the actual location even if you stood at the supposed site of the landscape art, meaning that not all the sceneries depicted in the prints were true to life. Many of the works are said to be created through Hokusai’s elaborate imagination inspired by actual views and past works of landmark impressions. What gives this idyllic series its distinct character is that Hokusai depicted Mount Fuji with his remarkable composition skills and mastery of artistic expression. He intentionally altered the arrangement of the pictorial elements to capture the beauty and ferocity of nature. 

3. Use of perspective

In the Edo period, ukiyo-e artists typically used tints and shades of colors to create depth; however, in this series of prints, Hokusai introduced the European art style of perspective.
Almost all of the prints in the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji were produced with perspective.
Hokusai artfully employed perspective and a variety of other techniques to highlight Mount Fuji, the primary subject matter, in its full glory.

Hokusai creatively experimented with and adopted daring compositions, eccentric ideas, and many other artistic innovations to keep people engaged in the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.Fugaku Sanjurokkei is a treasure trove of masterpieces. Do enjoy all 46 idyllic impressions of Mount Fuji created by Hokusai.

We are currently preparing an introductory page for each print in the Fugaku Sanjurokkei series.For those interested, we will send an email notification for each artwork as soon as the page is completed. If you would like to be notified by email, please sign up using the registration form below.You only need your email address to sign up. (Registration is free.)

List of Woodblock Prints

Stay tuned for updates.

No,1

Under the Wave off Kanagawa also known as The Great Wave off Kanagawa

神奈川沖浪裏, Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura

No,2

South Wind, Clear Sky

凱風快晴, Gaifu Kaisei

No,3

Rainstorm Beneath the Summit

山下白雨, Sanka Hakuu

No,4

深川万年橋下, Fukagawa Mannenbashi Shita

No,5

Fujimibara in Owari Province

尾州不二見原, Bishu Fujimibara

No,6

Senju in Musashi Province

武州千住, Bushu Senju

No,7

Surugadai in Edo

東都駿台, Toto Sundai

No,8

The Enza-no-natsu Pine Tree at Aoyama

青山円座松, Aoyama Enza No Matsu

No,9

Inumetoge Pass in Kai Province

甲州犬目峠, Koshu Inume Toge

No,11

Shichirigahama Beach in Sagami Province

相州七里浜, Soshu Shichirigahama

No,12

Tsukuda Island in Musashi Province

武陽佃島, Buyo Tsukudajima

No,13

Ushibori in Hitachi Province

常州牛堀, Joshu Ushibori

No,14

Kajikazawa in Kai Province

甲州石班澤, Koshu Kajikazawa

No,15

Lake Suwa in Shinano Province

信州諏訪湖, Shinshu Suwako

No,16

Mishima Pass in Kai Province

甲州三島越, Koshu Mishima Goe

No,18

Ejiri in Suruga Province

駿州江尻, Sunshu Ejiri

No,19

Honganji Temple at Asakusa in Edo

東都浅艸本願寺, Toto Asakusa Honganji

No,20

Umezawa Manor in Sagami Province

相州梅澤左, Soshu Umezawa Hidari

No,21

Snowy Morning at Koishikawa

礫川雪ノ旦, Koishikawa Yuki No Ashita

No,22

Shimomeguro

下目黒, Shimomeguro

No,23

Yoshida on the Tokaido Road

東海道吉田, Tokaido Yoshida

No,24

Sea Lane off Kazusa Province

上総ノ海路, Kazusa No Unaji

No,25

The Coast of Nobuto

登戸浦, Nobutoura

No,26

Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo

江戸日本橋, Edo Nihonbashi

No,27

Hodogaya on the Tokaido Road

東海道程ヶ谷, Tokaido Hodogaya

No,28

Hakone Lake in Sagami Province

相州箱根湖水, Soshu Hakone Kosui

No,29

Sekiya Village on the Sumida River

隅田川関屋の里, Sumidagawa Sekiya No Sato

No,31

The Mitsui shop at Surugacho in Edo

江戸駿河町三井見世略図, Edo Surugacho Mitsui Miseryakuzu

No,32

Viewing Sunset over the Ryogokubashi Bridge from the Onmayagashi River Bank

御厩川岸より両国橋夕陽見, Ommayagashi Yori Ryogokubashi Sekiyou Wo Miru

No,33

The Sazaido Hall of the Gohyaku Rakanji Temple

五百らかん寺さゞゐどう, Gohyakurakanji Sazaido

No,34

Waterwheel at Onden

隠田の水車, Onden No Suisha

No,35

Enoshima in Sagami Province

相州江の嶌, Soshu Enoshima

No,36

Simplified View of Tagonoura Beach at Ejiri on the Tokaido Road

東海道江尻田子の浦略図, Tokaido Ejiri Tagonoura Ryakuzu

No,37

Tatekawa at Honjo

本所立川, Honjo Tatekawa

No,38

Mount Fuji seen in the Distance from Senju Pleasure Quarter

従千住花街眺望ノ不二, Senju Hanamachi Yori Chobo No Fuji

No,39

Mount Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tokaido Road

東海道品川御殿山ノ不二, Tokaido Shinagawa Gotenyama No Fuji

No,40

Nakahara in Sagami Province

相州仲原, Soshu Nakahara

No,41

Mount Fuji from the Tea plantation at Katakura in Suruga Province

駿州片倉茶園ノ不二, Sunshu Katakura Chaen No Fuji

No,42

Ono-shinden in Suruga Province

駿州大野新田, Sunshu Onoshinden

No,43

Mount Fuji from Kanaya on the Tokaido Road

東海道金谷ノ不二, Tokaido Kanaya No Fuji

No,44

Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province

甲州伊沢暁, Koshu Isawa No Akatsuki

No,45

Back View of Mount Fuji from the Minobu River

身延川裏不二, Minobugawa Ura Fuji