Hokusai Museum

Hokusai (�k��, 1760-1849) is one of the most famous Edo Period painters, best known for his ukiyo-e woodblock series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji", which depicts scenes of the famous mountain, including the world famous "Great Wave off Kanagawa".

Hokusai spent several years toward the end of his life in Obuse as the guest of Takai Kozan, a wealthy merchant who was Hokusai's patron and student. A collection of Hokusai's artwork is displayed at the Hokusai Museum at the center of town, including two local festival floats whose ceilings Hokusai decorated with a dragon, a phoenix and his signature waves. The museum has some English descriptions as wells as a short English video about the artist.

Another of Hokusai's paintings can be seen at Ganshoin Temple, found along the mountains a little ways outside the town center. During his final year in Obuse, Hokusai painted the temple hall's ceiling with a large mural of a phoenix. The impressive red bird is crafted in careful detail and is one of the last large artworks that the artist finished before he died.