Hokusai's 36 Views of Fuji, among others, from Mount Fuji in Woodblock Prints

April 3, 2007 7:29 AM

Enza Matsu Pine Tree at Aoyama from Mount Fuji in Woodblock Prints.
posted by y2karl (13 comments total)

When you take the train from Tokyo in the direction of Nagoya and the Kansai region you get some splendid views of Mt. Fuji rising majestically behind a panorama of industrial sprawl: factories as far as the eye can see belching steam and smoke from hundreds of smokestacks and vents. Not the image of the venerable Fuji-san one ordinarily sees on picture postcards, nor of course in the pre-industrial era woodblock prints linked to here. As far as seeing Fuji from Aoyama, the only way is to get yourself up into one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood on a very clear day.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:48 AM on April 3, 2007

Those are gorgeous prints! I wish they'd be willing to post higher-resolution photos of them, though.

(PS: The site is resizing them. If you right click and pick "view image", they resize down to normal. And t first I thought your article began "Enzo meets pine tree".)
posted by wzcx at 7:56 AM on April 3, 2007

Mt. Fuji rising majestically behind a panorama of industrial sprawl: factories as far as the eye can see belching steam and smoke from hundreds of smokestacks and vents.
Show me, links please. This old stuff is pretty but, Industrial Fuji…
posted by tellurian at 8:07 AM on April 3, 2007

Show me, links please.

Well, Tellurian, it's a view I've seen about a hundred times over the last 12 years or so, from out of the aforementioned train window, but as far as links, well, whatever images are out there on the web, you're just as likely to find 'em as me. Wish I could direct you to some, and I might even look around for some, but it's coming up bedtime for me. Happy hunting!

(Wouldn't be too surprised, though, if you came up empty-handed: it's certainly not the image of Fuji-san that Japan would particularly want to promote...)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:16 AM on April 3, 2007

Your search - "Industrial Fuji" - did not match any documents.
posted by tellurian at 8:40 AM on April 3, 2007

Here's one.
posted by Abiezer at 8:46 AM on April 3, 2007

Oh shit! I'm so sorry I asked now. That's truly horrible. The power lines, the ugly pre-fab buildings, the smokestack. Even Fuji looks like it might be some sort on industrial slag pile. Take me back to Woodblock land.
posted by tellurian at 9:07 AM on April 3, 2007

I want a woodblock print of Abiezer's link.
posted by Floydd at 10:19 AM on April 3, 2007

Enza Matsu Pine Tree at Aoyama

Say THAT three time real fast.
posted by Relay at 1:02 PM on April 3, 2007

Say THAT three time real fast.

Piece of cake. Now, this Japanese tongue-twister, on the other hand...

とうきょうとっきょきょかきょく

But be warned, getting it wrong could result in surprisingly severe punishments.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:02 PM on April 3, 2007

So... ready to try any of these?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:03 PM on April 3, 2007

I wish I had a quarter for everytime Sensei said "Uraniwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwa niwatori ga iru. "

Tonikaku, kirei mokuhanga desu ne.
posted by ilsa at 4:35 PM on April 3, 2007

kieri na.... gomen
posted by ilsa at 8:06 PM on April 4, 2007