One Hundred Views of Fuji

Date published: 1834-1849
Publisher: Eirakuya Tôshirô
Illustrator: Hokusai
Japanese: 富嶽百景 (Fugaku hyakkei)

The One Hundred Views of Fuji, or Fugaku hyakkei, is a three-volume set of illustrated books designed by Katsushika Hokusai and published by Eirakuya Tôshirô in 1834 to 1849. It has been described as representing an example of the highest quality of block-cutting and printing in the Edo period.

The first two volumes were published in 1834 and 1835 respectively. However, due to the Tenpô Famine, the third volume was delayed until 1849, when it was published as part of a unified edition (of all three volumes in one).

Following Hokusai's death, Eirakuya published a new unified edition in 1860 with recut grey blocks and added pink colors. In 1875, he issued a new unified edition again, this time reverting back to the original colors and sedate tones. The reasons for this return to the original appearance are unknown, but were presumably in response to market demand.

The volumes themselves include numerous images of Mt. Fuji as seen from various vantage points and famous sites, in various seasons. However, they also include images of deities associated with the mountain, historical figures such as En no Gyôja (believed to be the first to climb to the peak), images of people ascending and descending the mountain in groups, and images of the chaos and destruction wreaked by Mt. Fuji's 1707 eruption.

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References

Ellis Tinios, "Hokusai: The Name that Sold Books," lecture, UC Santa Barbara, 24 April 2018.