Question 1

True or false: Hokusai never left Japan, but his work heavily influenced European artists like Van Gogh and Monet.

Accepted Answer

True. He traveled within Japan but never abroad. His prints reached Europe via trade and sparked the Japonisme craze, inspiring Impressionists.

Question 2

True or false: Hokusai was a poor artist who never achieved fame until after his death.

Accepted Answer

False. He was extremely popular and commercially successful during his lifetime, though his finances were chaotic due to his gambling and spending habits.

Question 3

True or false: Hokusai’s 'The Great Wave' was inspired by a tsunami he personally witnessed in 1830.

Accepted Answer

False. The wave is likely a rogue wind-driven swell, not a tsunami. Hokusai probably based it on sketches of coastal waves near Edo (Tokyo).

Question 4

True or false: Hokusai lived into his 90s and on his deathbed wished for more time to become a better artist.

Accepted Answer

True. He died at 88 or 89, reportedly saying, 'If only Heaven would give me just another ten years...' to truly master his craft.

Question 5

True or false: Hokusai's iconic 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa' was originally part of a series about Mount Fuji.

Accepted Answer

True. The print is the first in Hokusai's 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' series, with Fuji visible in the background of the wave.

Question 6

True or false: Hokusai changed his name over 30 times throughout his career.

Accepted Answer

True. He used at least 30 different artist names, often changing them after major life events or stylistic shifts—a common practice for Japanese artists.

Question 7

True or false: Hokusai was primarily a painter of erotic shunga prints, not landscapes.

Accepted Answer

False. While he did produce shunga (erotic art), he was equally renowned for landscapes, manga sketches, and book illustrations—landscapes made him famous in the West.

Question 8

True or false: Hokusai invented the artistic technique of using Prussian blue in Japanese woodblock prints.

Accepted Answer

False. He popularized Prussian blue in Japan, but it was imported from Europe. Japanese artists before him used indigo and other natural pigments.

Hokusai Trivia Questions