Fuji at Akazawa (Akazawa no Fuji): Detatched page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 3 c. 1835 - 1847

Editor: Here we have "Fuji at Akazawa," a page from Hokusai's *One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji*. It’s stark and quite unsettling. Why are these figures so grotesque, and what’s the symbolic weight they carry? Curator: Look at the exaggerated features, almost demonic. It seems Hokusai is tapping into primal fears and folklore, depicting figures perhaps as guardians or demons associated with the landscape. Consider the emotional power of the mountain itself, its presence in the collective psyche. What memories or associations might these figures evoke for a Japanese viewer? Editor: So, they aren’t simply monstrous but are part of a deeper cultural narrative? Curator: Precisely. The figures and Mount Fuji are intertwined in a symbolic dance reflecting on tradition, fear, and respect. It makes me wonder about the intersection of folklore and landscape in shaping cultural identity. Editor: This certainly opens up new ways of considering landscape art. Thank you.