Who Was Katsushika Hokusai? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master Behind “The Great Wave,” and Where to See Them

Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was an ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period. Starting out with prints of kabuki actors and beautiful women, he worked across genres for some seven decades, from the drawing manual “Hokusai Manga” and the landscape series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” to the paintings of his final years. He influenced painters and musicians abroad, and “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” appears on the back of the 1,000-yen note issued since 2024. Here is a guide to his life, his major works and where to see them today.

Hokusai’s life: the “Old Man Mad About Painting” who changed his name about 30 times

Hokusai is said to have been born in 1760 around Honjo Warigesui in Edo, in what is now Sumida City, Tokyo. Around the age of 19 he became a pupil of the ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunsho and produced actor prints under the name Katsukawa Shunro. He is said to have changed his art name about 30 times and moved house 93 times. In his later years he called himself Gakyo Rojin Manji, “Old Man Mad About Painting.”

His drive did not fade after 80. From 1842, when he was 83, he is said to have visited Obuse in Shinano Province (now Nagano Prefecture) four times. Staying with Takai Kozan, a wealthy local merchant who studied painting under him, he painted ceilings for festival floats and a temple and produced many paintings. He died in 1849 at the age of 90 by the traditional Japanese count. On his deathbed, he is said to have remarked that if heaven had granted him five more years, he could have become a true painter.

Major works

“Hokusai Manga” (from 1814)

A drawing manual covering everything from people, animals and plants to landscapes and supernatural creatures. The first volume appeared in 1814 and was a hit, and publication continued after Hokusai’s death to a total of 15 volumes. It became widely known abroad and influenced European artists.

“Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (from around 1831)

A series of landscape prints issued from around 1831 by the publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudo). It comprises 46 designs, including “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” “Fine Wind, Clear Morning” (Red Fuji) and “Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit” (Black Fuji). The series also decorates the visa pages of the Japanese passport introduced in 2020. The highlights of each design are covered in 12 famous ukiyo-e masterpieces.

“One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji” (from 1834)

A picture book that shows Mount Fuji from many places, in different seasons and through legends. The first volume came out in 1834. Rather than multicolored prints, it was printed in shades of ink, and it distills Hokusai’s inventive compositions.

“A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces” and “Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces” (around 1833–34)

Landscape series depicting famous waterfalls and bridges across Japan with bold compositions. Falling water and the shapes of bridges are pared down almost like graphic design.

Late paintings: “Phoenix” ceiling and “Dragon over Mount Fuji”

The ceiling of the main hall of Ganshoin Temple in Obuse still bears the “Phoenix Glaring in Eight Directions,” painted by Hokusai at 88 and covering the area of 21 tatami mats. “Dragon over Mount Fuji,” in which a dragon rises above the mountain, is regarded as a masterpiece of his very last years and is held by the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse.

Hokusai’s daughter, Katsushika Oi

His third daughter, Oi (Oei), was also a painter who supported her father’s work, and she is known for “Night Scene in the Yoshiwara,” with its striking contrast of light and shadow. The Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku, Tokyo, is holding an exhibition of her work until December 6 (article on the exhibition).

Where to see Hokusai’s work

• The Sumida Hokusai Museum (Kamezawa, Sumida City, Tokyo): Opened in 2016 in Sumida City, said to be Hokusai’s birthplace. Its 10th-anniversary special exhibition, “The Best of The Sumida Hokusai Museum” (until November 23), shows the 7-meter “Scroll of Views Along Both Banks of the Sumida River.” “Hokusai Crossover,” also marking the anniversary, follows from December 16 to February 28, 2027 (Ryogoku and Kiyosumi-Shirakawa art guide).

• Hokusai-kan Museum (Obuse, Nagano Prefecture): A museum devoted to Hokusai, opened in 1976. It holds the ceiling paintings from the Higashimachi and Kamimachi festival floats and paintings from his later years.

• Ganshoin Temple (Obuse, Nagano Prefecture): The “Phoenix Glaring in Eight Directions” remains on the ceiling of its main hall.

• MOA Museum of Art (Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture): “Hokusai Red Fuji & Blue Wave: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” from February 26 to April 2, 2027, brings together all 46 prints of the series (MOA Museum of Art’s 2027 exhibitions).

There are also installations that let you experience Hokusai’s work as moving images. “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” at the Gifu City Museum of History (until January 11, 2027) creates video spaces based on more than 300 ukiyo-e by Hokusai, Hiroshige and others, and the permanent “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA,” with themes including “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” and “Fine Wind, Clear Morning,” is scheduled to open in Ginza, Tokyo, in spring 2027 (article on the opening). Hokusai’s influence on Western painters is covered in our article on Japonisme.

For Utagawa Hiroshige, see our guide to his life, major works and the museums where you can see them.

For Kitagawa Utamaro, see our guide to his life, major works and where to see them.

Frequently asked questions

What are Hokusai’s most famous works?

The best known include the landscape series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (with “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” and “Fine Wind, Clear Morning”), the drawing manual “Hokusai Manga,” the picture book “One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji,” and late paintings such as the “Phoenix Glaring in Eight Directions” and “Dragon over Mount Fuji.”

How old was Hokusai when he died?

He died in 1849 at the age of 90 by the traditional Japanese count. Even after 80 he kept traveling to Obuse in Shinano Province to paint large ceiling works, and he went on working until his final years.

Where can I see Hokusai’s work?

At The Sumida Hokusai Museum in Sumida City, Tokyo, and the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture. Ukiyo-e are displayed in rotation, so check each museum’s schedule if there is a particular work you want to see. From February 26 to April 2, 2027, all 46 prints of “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” will be shown together at the MOA Museum of Art in Atami.

Why did Hokusai change his name so many times?

Hokusai is said to have changed his art name about 30 times. Reasons often cited include passing his names on to pupils and adopting new names at turning points in his style and subject matter.

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: The “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” and the “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA” introduced in this article are, respectively, an event planned and produced by and a facility produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

For the latest information on events by HITOHATA, INC., see HITOHATA, INC.’s event page.

*Top image: Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA (from HITOHATA, INC.’s press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements from museums, local governments and organizers (as of November 9, 2026) and general art-historical knowledge of Katsushika Hokusai.