葛飾 北斎

A master ukiyo-e artist. 1760-1849. Hokusai was active during the late Edo period, considered to be the golden age of ukiyo-e in Japan. Born in Honjo, Hokusai spent most of his life in the area now known as Sumida City. Among his most famous works are the "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" and the "Hokusai Manga." * * * Hokusai was a prolific artist from a young age and has left behind a wide variety of works, producing an estimated 30,000 pieces during his lifetime. Though the general popularity of ukiyo-e declined during the Meiji period, Hokusai remained a core figure at the center of the Japonisme movement, providing inspiration for countless artists around the globe. Despite his fame, Hokusai himself was said to be rather indifferent to money or decorum, and lived a life that quite appropriately resembled that of the whimsical and otherworldly scenes often depicted in ukiyo-e. Though he went by many names, in his later years he took on the title of "Gakyo Rojin Manji," or "the Old Mad Painter." Hokusai lived to be ninety years old, and never lost his passion for art. [From in-game Files entry]