Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: A Beginner's Guide

A short introduction to Hokusai's famous Fuji print series, including the Great Wave, the red mountain at dawn and the role of Prussian blue.

Published October 19, 2026 at 2:03 PM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji is a series of ukiyo-e woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai, made around 1830 to 1832 and published by Nishimura Yohachi. It began with 36 prints and grew to 46 after strong sales. The set includes The Great Wave off Kanagawa, shows Fuji from many places and seasons, and made lavish use of imported Prussian blue.

What the series is

Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (in Japanese, Fugaku Sanjurokkei) is a set of landscape prints in the ukiyo-e tradition, whose name means "pictures of the floating world." Each print shows Mount Fuji from a different place, season or kind of weather, and in some prints the mountain is small and distant while people, boats or trees take center stage. The variety is part of the pleasure, since the same peak appears in dozens of moods.

Britannica describes the series as a significant achievement in the history of Japanese landscape prints. The prints share a theme but not a single story. Some show travelers on a road, some show workers at their jobs, and some show nothing but weather and the mountain.

For a beginner, the best way to approach the set is to look for Fuji in each image first and then notice what else is happening around it. Often the lively scene in the foreground is the real subject, and Fuji is the quiet anchor that holds the picture together.

Dates, publisher and the growth to 46 prints

Hokusai made the series around 1830 to 1832, when he was in his seventies, according to Wikipedia. Britannica gives a broader range of 1826 to 1833, so the dating differs a little between sources. The publisher was Nishimura Yohachi.

The title says thirty-six, but the series has 46 prints. The first 36 sold well enough that ten more were added, and the later ones are often described as the additional prints. Wikipedia reports that the publisher hoped to expand the series to more than a hundred prints, though publication stopped at 46.

This detail often surprises newcomers who count the images in a museum book. Anyone buying a reproduction or a catalog should check whether it includes all 46 prints or only the original 36, and some selections show only a handful of the best-known designs.

Prussian blue and the color story

Part of the series' success came from color. Prussian blue, a synthetic pigment, had recently been brought to Japan from Europe, and Hokusai used it extensively. The deep, clear blue gave the early prints a striking look, and they are sometimes called aizuri-e, meaning prints made mainly in shades of blue. The Metropolitan Museum of Art notes that Hokusai became known for landscapes made with indigo and imported Prussian blue.

Once the series proved popular, the publisher used more colors, and the later prints are in the full-color style called nishiki-e. That is why some designs exist in more than one version, with different colors in the sea, sky or hills.

When looking at a print, notice where the blue is used. It might be the waves, the sky, or the shadows, and it often sits next to the warm tones of wood or paper so that the cool color stands out.

Three prints to know first

The best-known design is Under the Wave off Kanagawa, usually called The Great Wave. It is widely regarded as one of the most recognizable images in world art, and the Metropolitan Museum describes Fuji appearing as a small triangular mound within the hollow of a cresting wave. The museum dates it to about 1830 to 1832 and lists its size as roughly 25.7 by 37.9 centimeters. Three long boats and their crews are pulled into the scene, and many viewers read it as a picture of nature's power and human skill together.

Fine Wind, Clear Morning, nicknamed Red Fuji, shows the mountain glowing red under a clear sky. Another favorite is Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit (also translated as Rainstorm), in which the peak stands calm above a storm. Kajikazawa in Kai Province, showing a fisherman on rocks, is also often praised.

These prints are good starting points because they show three moods: drama, calm and quiet power. After seeing them, the rest of the series becomes easier to explore, and it is interesting to compare how the same mountain is handled in each design.

Hokusai in his seventies

Katsushika Hokusai was born in Edo (now Tokyo) in 1760, though the exact date is uncertain, and died on May 10, 1849, at age 88. He used at least thirty different names during his life, and his changes of name often marked changes in style. By the time the Fuji series was made he had already worked for decades as a designer of prints, book illustrations and drawing manuals, including the Hokusai Manga sketchbooks.

His late career is often seen as his richest period. After the Thirty-six Views, he produced One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, a set of illustrated books begun in 1834 and generally considered the masterpiece among his landscape picture books. In its closing note he wrote about progress at ages 73, 86, 90 and 100, and said he hoped to reach a new level by 110.

Those remarks give a sense of his attitude. Hokusai seems to have treated each decade as a chance to learn more, which may be the best reason to pay close attention to prints made when he was in his seventies.

How a woodblock print was made

Ukiyo-e prints were a team effort. The artist made a drawing, a carver glued it to a block of wood and cut away the surface, and a printer applied ink to the block and pressed paper onto it. Because the drawing was cut away in the process, the original sketch was destroyed. Every color needed its own block, so a full-color print took many carved blocks and careful alignment.

This method meant that the artist's role was only one part of the final look. The carver's skill with fine lines and the printer's control of ink and pressure shaped the finished image. The sea foam in the Great Wave, for example, depends on very delicate carving.

Popular prints could be printed many times from the same blocks. Because blocks wore down and colors varied between printings, early impressions are especially valued, and museums note details such as condition and printing when they describe a work.

Fuji, influence and where to see the prints

Mount Fuji has long been a symbol of Japan and a sacred peak. The Wikipedia article on the mountain cites UNESCO's view that Fuji has inspired artists and poets and drawn pilgrims for centuries, and notes that the old Tale of the Bamboo Cutter links one reading of its name, fushi, with immortality. By Hokusai's time, Fuji was a familiar subject for many ordinary people, which helps explain why a Fuji series sold well.

The series also traveled abroad. The Metropolitan Museum notes that the Great Wave is said to have inspired Debussy's La Mer, and Wikipedia reports that in 1896 Edmond de Goncourt wrote that the album had inspired the landscapes of the impressionists. Hiroshige later produced his own Fuji and travel series.

Many museums hold impressions of the series, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and some publish images online. Since prints are light-sensitive, they are often displayed only for limited periods, so check a museum's current schedule before traveling to see a specific design.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many prints are in Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji?

There are 46 prints. The series started with 36, and after its success ten more were added. The title was not changed, which is why the number surprises many people. Some books and exhibitions show only the original 36 or a smaller selection, so check what any particular edition includes.

What is the most famous print in the series?

The most famous is Under the Wave off Kanagawa, known as The Great Wave. It shows a huge curling wave, boats and a small Fuji in the distance. Other favorites are Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Red Fuji) and Thunderstorm Beneath the Summit. All three are widely reproduced and are held in museum collections.

Why was Prussian blue important?

Prussian blue was a recently imported pigment from Europe, and Hokusai used it heavily. Its clear, deep tone gave the early prints a distinctive look and helped make them popular. Prints made mainly in blue are called aizuri-e, while later versions use more colors in the nishiki-e style.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Ukiyo-e & Hokusai: Beginner's Guide to 100 Japanese Prints is available on Amazon.

Keep Exploring

More guides from Tokyo Paul: Hokusai Manga: The Sketchbooks That Gave Manga Its Name, Photographing Mount Fuji: The Five Lakes and the Seasons and Ukiyo-e: The Woodblock Prints That Gave Japan Its Famous Wave.