Hokusai's 'Great Wave' features on new Japanese banknotes (2019)

[Findecanor]

Mokuhankan in Tokyo made a limited woodblock print run of The Great Wave of Kanagawa a couple years ago. It was printed using traditional methods but the templates were made on a computer, using high-res scans of multiple vintage prints as source material. The long process was documented on YouTube. <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK-Wicsj5rAasS2g7e-Z9...>

One interesting fact that came up is that: No known existing print has been identified as being from an original print run! All known antique prints in existence are reproductions from back in the day. Japan did not have any copyright law, so copying of prints was common. This has been seen by every print having artefacts that have been recognised as some that can happen while copying, and then those artefacts were copied and so on... The British Museum has an article about it: <https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/great-wave-spot-differenc...>

[qubyte]

I stopped by the Mokuhankan shop when I was in the area last year. David Bull was carving a block on the left as I came in, so I didn't see him at first (my eyes were drawn to the prints, which are arranged into bins like records on the right).

I was wearing an old trade shirt which had a Kurzgesagt sort of look to it. When I bought a print to the till it was in his eyeshot and caught his interest, so he came over for a chat! He's such a nice guy. He asked me what I do, and the next thing I know we're talking about tech stuff, and how he builds his site and shop. A true renaissance man.

[thih9]

Could we add [2019] to the title?

More context:

> On April 9, 2019, Finance Minister Tarō Asō announced new designs for the ¥1000, ¥5000, and ¥10,000 notes, for use beginning on July 3, 2024.

> The ¥1000 bill will feature Kitasato Shibasaburō and The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the ¥5000 bill will feature Tsuda Umeko and wisteria flowers, and the ¥10,000 bill will feature Shibusawa Eiichi and Tokyo Station.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banknotes_of_the_Japanese_ye...

[resolutebat]

The article is from 2019, but the notes will be rolled out next month (July 2024), so it's quite timely.

[andrewflnr]

I'm curious: Is the Great Wave as iconic within Japan as it is to the West et al? For me it's one of the first pieces of Japanese art I think of, but I've always wondered if that's just because it's closer to the intersection of, say, American and Japanese sensibilities/artistic palate, rather than because it's actually the biggest deal in Japanese art.

[bashauma]

As a native Japanese, I can tell you that is true. There are many types of Japanese paintings, but the most popular is ukiyo-e. And I can't think of a more famous ukiyo-e work than "Great Wave". Therefore this is considered the most famous Japanese painting.

If asked to choose one ukiyo-e as an illustration for a banknote, almost all Japanese would choose this work. (Especially considering that the back of the banknote, i.e., a landscape, is required)

Although less famous than "Great Wave", however there are still works that are comparable to it. "Yakko Edobei" by Sharaku is one of them, and it's the most famous ukiyo-e portrait work.

[resolutebat]

Yes, it is. There was an episode of Jet Lag (Amazing Race-type YouTube show) where the contestants drew a challenge card requiring them to find a picture of the Great Wave, but they were deep in the Japanese countryside. They knocked it off at the first vending machine, which had a bottle of water featuring the Great Wave.

That said, it's generally regarded as one of many classic woodcuts, with other works by Hokusai, Hiroshima, Utamaro etc also held in high esteem. And it's known not simply as "Great Wave", but the "Great Wave off Kanagawa", since it's just one of the 36 Views of Fuji series.

[msephton]

This summer is the perfect time to see Hokusai’s “Great Wave” in person around the world!

3 impressions go on view this month in Japan (Kawasaki, Okayama, Tokyo)

This coincides with its inclusion on the new ¥1000 bank note from July 2024.

And impressions are still on view in UK, Italy, and USA: https://greatwavetoday.com

[bashmelek]

Isn’t there always a print in the ukiyo-e museum in Matsumoto? It’s not a very big place, and they only show a small fraction of their collection at any one time, but I definitely enjoyed my visit while I was there

[downboots]

I'm trying to figure out where the value of experiencing it "in person" comes from.

[xvilka]

I wonder if they will ever feature anime/manga art on their paper money.

[loveparade]

Waifu banknotes would become worth significantly more than their nominal value... they may want to avoid that.

[Magi604]

I could see special editions being made, the same way that special collectors coins are distributed.

[ekianjo]

if they do that they end up increasing the appeal of JPY bank notes to foreigners

[boppo1]

Think they'll do 'dream of the fisherman's wife' next?

[msephton]

Hahaha! For the uninitiated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dream_of_the_Fisherman's_W...

[squiffsquiff]

Article from five years ago

[msephton]

The bank note enters circulation July 2024.

[hlandau]

The Great Wave is fantastic art and I'm getting a bit tired of seeing it overused everywhere. This is going to make that even worse.

It's good to celebrate outstanding artwork but having it in everyone's face all the time is antithetical to that.

[msephton]

I think that ship has sailed, it's been gone for at least 100 years.

[mabster]

My Japanese partner was saying that small businesses are complaining about these because apparently some machines that process banknotes are unable to detect them.

[msephton]

I didn't think the notes were in circulation until next month?

[popol12]

Side question: why are USD bank notes so dull ?

[twoodfin]

I’ve always heard that the aesthetic “stability” of US currency is meant to reinforce the perception of (relative) value-stability.