The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a color woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, made in the Edo period (19th century). It is one of his series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
Katsushika HokusaiEdo period, 19th century
神奈川沖浪裏The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Series
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
Kind
nishiki-e (color woodblock print), wide ōban size
Size
24.4 × 37.0 cm
One copy
Tokyo National Museum
From the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Heritage Online, and the Tokyo National Museum.
What the picture shows
A huge wave rises up as if it is about to attack, and small boats are tossed about in the swell.
At the center of the swirling shape is Mount Fuji, as if it were watching a drama between nature and people.
Hokusai did not draw the scene just as it was. He made it bigger and bolder, and this makes the picture strong.
A print, not a painting
It is a nishiki-e, a woodblock print in many colors, in the wide “ōban” size. The copy at the Tokyo National Museum is 24.4 cm tall and 37.0 cm wide.
Its name
In Japanese its full name is “Fugaku sanjūrokkei: Kanagawa-oki nami-ura” (冨嶽三十六景・神奈川沖浪裏).
Think about it
Q1Find Mount Fuji in the picture. Why do you think Hokusai made it so small?
Q2The wave was made bigger than in real life. How does that change the feeling of the picture?
Q3Make a list of what you see: people, boats, water, mountain. Which one is the main character?
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.
Did you know? — The copy at the Tokyo National Museum is 24.4 cm tall and 37.0 cm wide.