Hokusai Museum / Sunny2022.Sep.06

The artist Hokusai is an inspiration to us here at Snownavi, as someone who never lost his passion as he aged, and always sought to improve his work. Katsushika Hokusai’s unique Edo period ukiyo-e works influenced artists of various genres, including major French impressionists such as Manet, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh, setting off the Japonisme movement. Hokusai changed residences a whopping 93 times during his 90-year career, but the Hokusai Museum is located in Obuse where he spent his later years under the patronage of a wealthy merchant farmer by the name of Kouzan Takai.

[Hokusai Museum・Folding Screen Exhibit]

The permanent exhibition room (1st photo) displays works such as “Nanakomachi,” which depicts the Heian period poet Ono no Komachi, and “Beauty with Umbrella Beneath a Willow Tree” which both show his skills in the middle portion of his career. The highlights however are the “Dragon” and “Phoenix” ceilings painted on the Higashimachi Festival float (pictured, foreground) from when he was 85, and the two angry wave paintings known as “Masculine Wave” and “Feminine Wave” completed on the ceiling of the Kanmachi Festival float the following year (pictured, background).

[Hokusai Museum・Festival Exhibition Roomt]

A special fall exhibition of Hokusai masterpieces (pictured) is currently underway from 9/3 (Sat.) to 11/13 (Sun.). In addition to Hokusai’s representative works of “Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji” and “Fine Wind, Clear Morning,” other lesser-known but equally impressive series such as “A Tour of the Waterfalls of the Provinces” and “Wondrous Views of Famous Bridges in All the Provinces” can be seen. A special autumn lecture by the museum director will be held on 10/8 (Sat.), and gallery talks will be held by curators on 9/24 (Sat.) and 10/22 (Sat.).

[Hokusai Museum・Special Exhibition Room 1]

The “Museum Office” is now open on the 2nd floor as of 1/30/2021 (Sat.), which has 7 private rooms equipped with power supply, wireless LAN, and even water servers (as well as coffee, cafe latte and tea), which can be used as a personal workstation while traveling or on business. The usage fee includes admission to the museum’s exhibitions. (Reservations required; half day [4 hours] JPY2,000, full day JPY3,000.)

[Hokusai Museum・Museum Office]

[Hokusai Museum]
＊Address … 485 Obuse, Obuse-machi, Kamitakai-gun, Nagano
＊Opened period … All year (12/31 holidays)
＊Business hours … 9:00－17:00
＊Fees … Adults JPY1,000, High school age JPY500, Junior high school age JPY300, Younger Free

＊Parking … JPY400 (These charges are for parking up to 3 hours; additional charges apply thereafter.)