Hokusai, a Japanese artist (1760 - 1849),
was famous for his landscape wood block prints. His work "One Hundred
Views of Mt. Fuji," provided the inspiration for the story and the
illustrations in "365 Views of Mt. Fuji." L.J.C. Shimoda interpreted
each of Hokusai's 100 views into four of her own, drawing first on his
universal theme that something grander, more meaningful is happening in
everyday life than the task at hand.
Hokusai depicted this strong belief of
his through Mt Fuji - showing the mountain as the strongest element in
his scenes, with perhaps only one distracted viewer noticing its power.
Hokusai relied on his imagination and spiritual belief in the life-giving
power of Fuji to compose his 100 views. This so intrigued and matched a
similar belief the artist has in life, she used her imagination and personal
interpretation to honor his passion.
Click on Hokusai's name to see some examples
of Hokusai's views and the artist's interpretations.