The Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum, an institution dedicated to preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Edo-Tokyo, is proud to present The Mount Fuji Challenges: Hokusai and Hiroshige, which assembles a special selection of works from the museum’s ukiyo-e collection. As the facility is currently undergoing a major renovation, this marks the first time that works from the ukiyoe collection are being shown outside the museum. Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is widely known as one of Japan’s greatest masterpieces of ukiyo-e printmaking. Hokusai was over 70 when he completed the series, but there is no sign of his age in these compositions – featuring Mount Fuji, boldly rendered with vivid blues and other vibrant colors –which continue to enchant viewers to this day. All 46 works from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji are being displayed together in this exhibition. Hokusai is often described as a genius, but his works were in large part the product of his ceaseless efforts over the course of an extensive artistic practice. The first half of the exhibition traces the trajectory of Hokusai’s career. The other featured artist, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), was in his mid-30s when Hokusai published Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. At the time, he was merely one of many ukiyo-e artists who were concentrating on landscapes without enjoying any great success. How did he go on to establish his own distinctive style? This special exhibition is an enhanced and reorganized version of an event that was originally scheduled to be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum in the spring of 2021, but had to be suspended due to the Covid crisis. Today, in the wake of this unprecedented pandemic, it is our hope that visitors will enjoy viewing the countless masterworks that are the fruit of Hokusai and Hiroshige’s endeavors as they reflect on the various challenges faced by these artists, who are often seen as geniuses of their craft.
Information about the Exhibition
〈Dates〉
Apr 13 (Sat) 2024-May 26 (Sun) 2024
〈Hours〉
10:00-17:00
〈Closed〉
Monday
Open on a public holiday Monday but closed on the following day.
