Bay of Noboto 

Katsushika Hokusai made this print, "Bay of Noboto," using woodblock techniques. The torii gates dominate the foreground, their simple construction marking the boundary between the mundane and the sacred, a threshold to a Shinto shrine. These gates, with their origins perhaps rooted in ancient Indian gateways, appear throughout Asia. The form and function has morphed across millennia. One can trace its reappearance in the gates of Persepolis, or even the triumphal arches of Rome. Each iteration serves as a symbolic passage. Much like the proscenium arch in a theatre, they frame and alter the perception of what lies beyond. In Hokusai’s print, they not only define space, but also invite a contemplation of transition—a concept deeply embedded in our collective psyche, reminding us that even the most static image is but a moment in an endless cycle of transformation.