The Sumida Hokusai Museum is dedicated to the life and work of Japan’s most famous artist. Most commonly referred to simply as ‘Hokusai’, during his lifetime he worked under many names and came to be recognised as a master artist across several mediums including ‘ukiyo-e’.

Photos Owashi Yosuke

Hokusai’s most famous artwork, known outside of Japan as ‘The Great Wave’, is said to be one of the most recognised images in human history and as such, will be instantly recognisable to many international visitors even if they aren’t yet familiar with the artist’s name. One of many names he used during his lifetime, Hokusai was a prolific artist whose talent transcends tradition, time and his homeland of Japan to place him among the world’s truly great and most influential artists.

The museum mixes a permanent display with a larger rotating exhibition space of his life’s work. Located in the Sumida district of Tokyo, the museum is nearby the popular Edo Tokyo Museum and within easy reach of Tokyo Skytree.

To discover more about the artist, please see our ‘Art Space Japan: ’Hokusai’ page. All images are provided/owned by the Sumida Hokusai Museum.