Thank you for joining our tour! We welcomed 18 guests from Germany, US, Israel, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
Despite the lingering heat of early autumn, everyone appeared to enjoy the scenic walk through the garden.
As mentioned in our tour, Japan has gone through an isolation between 17- 19th century, and this long era of peace allowed Japanese mass culture – such as Kabuki, Haiku poetry, Ukiyo-e (Wood block printing), to flourish.
And right at the heart of it was Ukiyo-e (浮世絵), which literally translates to “pictures of the floating world.” These weren’t just beautiful pictures; they were the Instagram and social medias of their times.
I had a chance to visit the Ukiyo-e genius Hokusai Manga exhibit and learned how his ancient art form triggered the birth of modern Japanese manga and anime. Hokusai Manga is not “manga” as we know it today, but more closer to a collection of drawings. This multi-volume collection features thousands of sketches:
Here is what makes Hokusai Manga so notable for us today.
- Comical Expressions: He conveyed emotion through wildly expressive faces and body language. Hokusai was doing this centuries ago!
2. Capturing Motion: Hokusai drew sequences of movement. A person dancing – you can see the before, during, and after, all on one page! This is the fundamental principle of animation.
3. Dynamic Compositions: His use of dramatic angles and bold, sweeping lines created a sense of energy. This is pure cinematography, long before cameras existed!
4.Storytelling Through Image: Even without dialogue, Hokusai’s images tell stories.
It’s truly mind-blowing to think that the roots of Naruto and Studio Ghibli can be found in centuries-old woodblock prints. Check out the exhibit if you are interested! https://hokusai2025.jp/en/
Once again, thank you for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your stay in Tokyo. Your feedback is important and helpful to us. If you enjoyed our tour, please consider posting a review on our TripAdvisor/Facebook etc. Your comments will help contribute to higher-quality tours.
Posted by Asako