The Invisible World of Japanese Fairies Inside Hokusai's Art

Hokusai is easily the most globally recognizable and well-known Japanese artists and meany consider him to be Japan's greatest ever artist. Hokusai changed the trajectory of the Japanese art of Ukiyo-e, moving from strictly human subjects to European influenced landscape portraits. These portraits were more than simple landscapes however, Hokusai believed in the divinity of nature and many of his prints, including the Great Wave Off Kanagawa, portray nature's power over man and show a deep reverence for the divine beings which Hokusai believed inhabit nature. This video is meant to educate, but primarily as a guide to appreciate on a deeper level one of the most important artists ever to pick up the brush.

Hokusai inspired countless artists over the years who have been captivated by his depictions of nature in its most glorious state. This video will unpack how Hokusai inspired Impressionist painters like Monet, Monet, and Renoir, but also impressionist musicians like Claude Debussy.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro: 36 Views of Mount Fuji
1:20 The man: Katsushika Hokusai
2:55 Time Travel: Edo late 1700s
5:27 European impact: Claude Debussy
6:59 The Kami
9:29 Divine Nature: Daoine Sídhe, Elves, Fairies
11:09 How to Appreciate the Art of Hokusai

Sources:
Dreams (1990 Film) by Akira Kurosawa
Traditional Irish Fairly Tales (1996 Book) by James Stephens
Shinto (2011 podcast) by BBC In Our Time

Animation:
Nuke AMV

Music:
Aphex Twin: Petiatil Cx Htdui
Jocelyn Paramita: Sadness and Sorrow
Gabriel Yared: A Retreat
Claude Debussy: Play of the Waves
Mary Lattimore: Hello From the Edge of the Earth
Nadia Birkenstock: A Trip to the Islands