Near Umezawa in Sagami Province

Catalog note / 解説

Along the coast of Sagami province in Kanagawa prefecture, the view of Mount Fuji is said to be dramatic, revealing the mountain’s classic beauty. Hokusai’s design in this print is particularly fine, expressive of the tranquil mood of Fuji, with its foothills that provide a refuge for cranes, Japan’s most sacred bird. At the foreground stream, bathed in the early dawn light, five cranes feed and two others fly toward Fuji. The mountain’s majestic cone, deep blue at the bottom and fading to light blue and white at the summit, rises above the green slopes. The combination of Fuji and cranes is auspicious and filled with meaning for the Japanese. The conventional bands of pink-tinted clouds co…