冨嶽三十六景　江都駿河町三井見世略図|Mitsui Shop at Surugachō in Edo (Edo Surugachō Mitsui mise ryaku zu), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei)

Art Historical Context

Katsushika Hokus's *Mitsui Shop at Surugachō in Edo*, from his groundbreaking series *Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji* (ca. 1830–32), captures a bustling urban scene in Edo (modern Tokyo) during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). This woodblock print in vibrant ink and color on paper showcases the famed Mitsui shop—a precursor to department stores—amidst crowded rooftops. Men climb ladders, perhaps repairing tiles or simply gazing, while the majestic Mount Fuji looms distantly as a spiritual constant, tagged with motifs of roofs, ladders, men, and volcanoes. Hokusai, a ukiyo-e master known for hi...

About the Artist

Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...