This lavishly illustrated, oversized (17" x 10") book brings together the last major print series of the celebrated Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849) and the Japanese poetry that inspired these beautiful prints. Whether showing semi-nude women abalone divers struggling with their catch while a male crew of shriveled old salts leers from a nearby boat, or the carefree rapture of a leisurely group of men and women observing cherry blossoms at their peak, Hokusai captures, with drama and delicacy, sublime and ridiculous states. The artist's simplicity, though deceptive, is also remarkable: he illustrates a poem about a lovers' seaside tryst with a magnificently imposing yet unadorned sailing vessel, its small window offering a coy glimpse of the fortunate couple inside. Each of the 111 color prints (as well as 41 black-and-white sketches of projected prints apparently never completed) is accompanied by the poem, in Japanese and English, a biographical note on the poet and by Peter Morse's comments on literary and artistic intention and execution.

葛飾北齊 Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) 江戶時期浮世繪畫家

葛饰北斋生于 1760年的江户（现东京），是日本江户时代浮世绘派的大师级人物。他14岁学雕版印刷，18岁便和另一位浮世绘大师胜川春章学画，开始了自己漫长且多产的画画生涯——但葛饰却是等到了60岁以后才开始出名的。1826年，为了配合当时的日本内地旅游业的发展（多半也因为个人对富士山的情有独钟），葛饰以富士山不同角度的样貌为题，画了《富岳三十六景》一系列的风景图，因而远近驰名，其中以赤富士和神奈川冲浪里最为知名。

2000年，美国杂志《生活》把葛饰北斎列入“百位世界千禧名人”，赞扬他一生都在力求进步，想办法让自己的画更加完美的精神。虽然一生中作了无数的名画，名声响亮，葛饰大师却是一个谦卑踏实的人。在他74岁那年，葛饰惋惜自己对画画还不够天份。在一本自传里，他说：“说实在的，我70岁之前所画过的东西都不怎么样，也不值得一提。我想，我还得继续努力，才能在100岁的时候画出一些比较了不起的东西。”

遗憾的是，葛饰大师没活过百岁。临死前，他感叹地说：“我多么希望自己还能再活多五年，这样子我才有时间尝试成为一个真正的画家。”他当时89岁。

著名作品

富嶽三十六景 36 Views of Mount Fuji

One Hundred Poets

冨嶽三十六景：神奈川海浪裏 The Great Wave off Kanagawa