Kōshū Mishima-goe
Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji
Katsushika Hokusai
Artwork Description
Kōshū Mishima-goe depicts the mountain pass connecting Kai Province and Suruga. At the center of the composition rises an enormous tree—likely imagined rather than observed—whose monumental presence dominates the foreground. Its massive trunk dwarfs the surrounding travelers.
A group of wayfarers join hands around the tree, attempting to measure its circumference. Their gesture introduces both humor and scale. Human bodies become units of measurement, emphasizing the vastness of nature and the smallness of individual effort. The act is playful, yet symbolic.
Beyond the towering trunk, Mount Fuji appears in the distance. The triangular clarity of the mountain contrasts with the organic irregularity of the tree’s form. This deliberate juxtaposition—vertical trunk against distant peak—creates a layered spatial dialogue. Hokusai balances monumental foreground and serene background, turning the pass into a stage for visual comparison.
Gradated tones of blue and green convey the clarity of summer air. The drifting clouds above Fuji reinforce the sense of depth and atmosphere. Rather than dramatic weather or spiritual tension, this print centers on proportion and perception. Nature is not violent here; it is immense.
Through this composition, Hokusai transforms a mountain route into a meditation on scale, distance, and the human impulse to comprehend the sublime.
About Katsushika Hokusai
Katsushika Hokusai was one of the most influential ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period. Active as both painter and printmaker, he expanded ukiyo-e beyond portraits of actors and courtesans into landscapes, nature, and scenes of daily life.
His series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji became one of the most celebrated achievements in Japanese printmaking. Through inventive spatial construction and bold contrasts of form, Hokusai redefined the expressive possibilities of landscape within ukiyo-e.
Reproduction
This work is a 20th century lithographic reproduction of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
It is not an original Edo period woodblock print, but a later limited edition lithograph.
Hand printed and numbered 180/300 in pencil on the lower margin.
Details
Medium: Lithograph
Edition: 180/300
Size: 410 mm × 600 mm
All artworks are sold as shown in the photographs.
