Tokyo’s High-Tech Showcase Transforms Hokusai’s Samurai-Era Masterpieces

A new Tokyo exhibition that employs state of the art technology to bring the famous artist Hokusai’s artwork to life allows visitors to travel back in time to Japan’s samurai age.

The immersive experience provided by “Hokusai: Another Story in Tokyo” allows visitors to enter the woodblock master’s depictions of rural life and nature from the Edo Period. Ars Techne’s technical prowess replicates the texture of prints on washi paper and Sony PCL’s haptic plates replicate the sensation of walking on ice, a beach or a precarious bridge.

“The concept is not just to see something but to have an experience that goes beyond the real thing to let you feel the scenery that Hokusai saw,” said Hiroki Inokuchi who is a visual artist with Red Geek Pictures.

Katsushika Hokusai who was born in 1760, revolutionized ukiyo-e art with his vibrant color scheme and dynamic composition. The 1,000 yen note now features his masterwork, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” which has come to symbolize Japan. His prints fueled the Japonisme trend by inspiring European artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.

The exhibition follows previous well known tech driven art exhibitions in Tokyo and continues at Tokyu Plaza Shibuya from Saturday to June 1.