Japanese print – Katsushika Hokusai – Fuji from Kanaya on the Tōkaidō – Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series – Shōwa Yūyūdō Edition

Ukiyo-e print, woodblock print. [Shōwa era reissue using traditional woodblock printing techniques]

Type of print: scenes and landscapes: Fūkei-ga 風景画

🎨 Artist: Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎, signed 前北斎為一筆 Zen Hokusai Iitsu hitsu

Date of publication: Shōwa Period, circa 1965. Original edition 1830-32.

📜 Publisher: Yūyūdō 悠々洞出版
Editorial supervision: Yoshida Eiji 吉田暎二 (great expert in Japanese prints)
Engraver (Hori-shi): 松田寅蔵 Matsuda Torazō
Printer (Suri-shi): 遠藤忠雄 Endō Tadao

📏 Format: 32 x 21.5 cm (ōban yoko-e) supplied with passe-partout

Series: 富嶽三十六景 (Fugaku Sanjūrokkei): Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Title: 東海道金谷の不二 (Tōkaidō Kanaya no Fuji) No. 45 of the series
Fuji from Kanaya on the Tōkaidō, with the crossing of the Ōi River.

Subject:

This print is among the most dynamic and spectacular compositions in the series. Hokusai depicts Mount Fuji from Kanaya, on the great Tōkaidō road, as a crowd of travelers crosses the powerful waters of the Ōi River.

The scene is of great intensity: porters advance through the current, laden with travelers, luggage, and palanquins, while blue waves fill almost the entire composition. This audacious construction creates a fascinating movement between mountain, water, and passage.

On the riverbanks, small groups wait or make their way to the village of Kanaya. Houses, trees, and relief are rendered with great precision of line. The numerous silhouettes further emphasize the collective energy of the scene.

The composition rests on a remarkable contrast between Fuji, stable and majestic, and the human agitation, lively and almost theatrical. The sky and water are treated with powerful bokashi gradations, while the deep blues recall all the decorative strength of the series.

This authentic Japanese print, an authentic Shōwa reissue published by Yūyūdō, is of very good quality, made by renowned artisans: Matsuda Torazō for the engraving and Endō Tadao for the printing.

Condition: Print in perfect condition, presented with passe-partout. Fresh and balanced colors, very beautiful print quality typical of Yūyūdō editions.

🦝 Our opinion:

This print by the master Hokusai is impressive! Here, everything is movement, energy, and travel! It's a spectacular, almost cinematic composition, where you really feel the difficulty of crossing the Ōi River before modern bridges!

A superb Yuyudo reissue with beautiful colors! For those who love Hokusai, Fuji, or the vivid landscapes of old Japan on the Tōkaidō road!