Hokusai. Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

Hokusai. Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

This book, from Taschen, looks amazing. Bound in Japanese style, it’s a reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, a collection of woodblock prints of which the most famous is the Great Wave.

The prints illustrate Hokusai’s own obsession with Mount Fuji as well as the flourishing domestic tourism of the late Edo period. Just as the mountain was a cherished view for travelers heading to the capital Edo (now Tokyo) along the Tōkaidō road, Mount Fuji is the infallible backdrop to each of the series’ unique scenes. Hokusai captures the distinctive landscape and provincial charm of each setting with a vivid palette and exquisite detail. Including the iconic Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa (also The Great Wave), this widely celebrated series is a treasure of international art history.

This XXL version of the book is available at Taschen ($175), Bookshop ($210), and Amazon ($158). A smaller version of the book comes out in a few months and can be pre-ordered from Taschen ($80), Bookshop ($74), and Amazon ($80).