Fujimigahara in Owari Province (BishÅ« Fujimigahara): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Curator: At first glance, there's an almost comical quality to this image. The way the cranes are clustered together, their beaks all pointing in different directions… Editor: This is Katsushika Hokusai's "Fujimigahara in Owari Province," part of his "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji." It's striking how Hokusai uses these birds, seemingly chaotic, to frame the distant, serene Fuji. Curator: Frame is the right word. Do you think the cranes' positioning has anything to do with Japan's rapid urbanization and resource depletion at the time? Editor: Absolutely. Hokusai was acutely aware of the changing landscape. Placing Fuji in the background, almost obscured, could be a commentary on the diminishing presence of nature in everyday life. The cranes, symbols of longevity and happiness, seem to be clamoring for attention in its place. Curator: It certainly gives us much to consider regarding humanity's relationship with nature, then and now. Editor: Indeed. Hokusai provokes us to question what we prioritize and what we risk losing.