Picture Book of Kyōka Poems: Mountains upon Mountains (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama 画本狂歌山満多山) 1804

Katsushika Hokusai produced this woodblock print book, "Picture Book of Kyōka Poems: Mountains upon Mountains," in Japan sometime in his career. As an art historian, I’m interested in the context in which Hokusai was working, and his relationship to the institutions that shaped art production. This book combines images with Kyōka poems, a type of satirical or humorous verse that gained popularity in the Edo period. We can see, in the left panel, a woman holding a lantern, and in the right panel, a man carrying what appears to be the implements for a festival performance. The Kyōka poetry movement was often associated with the merchant class and commoners, providing a platform for social commentary and critique and the book medium made it more accessible to the masses. These satirical verses often poked fun at the social and political elite, challenging the established norms of the time. Hokusai, known for his innovative approach to ukiyo-e and his focus on everyday life, fits into this environment. By researching the Edo period, its social structure, and the Kyōka poetry movement, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex cultural forces that shaped Hokusai's work.