Katsushika Hokusai is regarded as one of the most influential and creative minds in the history of Japanese art. His unique social observations, innovative approach to design and mastery of the brush made him famous in Edo-period Japan, and globally recognised within a decade of his death.Despite his fame, Hokusai never attained financial success and his years of greatest artistic production were spent in poverty. He regularly moved his resting place and studio, travelling, drawing and painting, finding the greatest inspiration for his unique style through interactions with common folk and engaging with nature.Featuring new perspectives by leading international writers and more than 170 reproductions, this richly illustrated volume compares and contrasts two rare early impressions of the artist’s acclaimed The great wave off Kanagawa and features several celebrated series of works in their entirety, including Thirty-six Views of Mt Fuji, A Tour to the Waterfalls in Various Provinces and Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces, in addition to a selection of pages from all fifteen volumes of the iconic Hokusai Manga.