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When Hokusai Met “Kawaii” — A New Way to Carry Tradition Into the Future
Katsushika Hokusai's ukiyo-e art meets "kawaii" and is reborn as a new form of cultural expression. This is the concept behind the "Kawaii Hokusai" project.
This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Sumida City Tourism Association, the GLOBAL KAWAII Association, and the Minna Hokusai Project. It fuses traditional and modern sensibilities by layering the uniquely expressive art of artists with disabilities over Hokusai's masterpieces.
To learn more about this project—a challenge that re-examines the future of art, society, and culture—we spoke with Ozora Kurebayashi and Rei Saionji of the GLOBAL KAWAII Association.
The "Kawaii" Spirit within Hokusai's Art
Reimagining Hokusai through the lens of "kawaii" is a unique idea. We wondered, how did it all begin?"The project kicked off with a partnership with the Sumida City Tourism Association. Sumida City has plenty of attractions for international tourists, like the Skytree and the Ryogoku district. But despite being a great place to live, the city was struggling to fully leverage its appeal as a tourist destination.
So we brainstormed interesting ways to promote Sumida's rich cultural heritage. We zeroed in on the fact that it's Hokusai's hometown and launched an art project combining 'Kawaii x Hokusai.'"
When people think of Hokusai, they often recall the bold, stylized expressions famous in works like Under the Wave off Kanagawa and "Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Red Fuji). However, Kurebayashi explains that the spirit and design at the core of his work resonate with today's "kawaii" culture.
"I see Hokusai as a painter with incredible powers of observation. Research shows he had a knack for capturing scenes that other artists of his time overlooked—like the exact moment sea spray bursts, or a single frame of a falling raindrop. This sharp eye of his was likely turned toward everything: animals, people, and landscapes alike.
I believe that perspective also included an ability to spot what we now call 'kawaii.' Those little gestures that are amusing or charming, the movements that everyone finds endearing. I think Hokusai had a special talent for capturing that feeling," says Kurebayashi.
"With Kurebayashi heading up the design, we looked beyond just the famous ukiyo-e prints and dove into the vast collection of sketches and hand-drawn works Hokusai left behind. We did a deep dive into all kinds of materials, including dozens of Hokusai art books and the "Hokusai Manga" housed in the National Diet Library.
From that treasure trove, we pulled out elements that would resonate with modern Sumida and the 'kawaii' aesthetic, and then worked them into our designs," says Saionji.
Why "Under the Wave off Kanagawa," "Fine Wind, Clear Morning," and "Great Waves"?
One of our key partners, the "Minna Hokusai Project," has a long history of displaying art created by people with disabilities in public spaces. The massive database of line drawings they've built up over the years became the foundation for our initiative.Hokusai created a staggering number of works. So, how were the specific motifs chosen for this project?
"First off, the most famous Hokusai piece is, of course, the 'Big Wave'—"Under the Wave off Kanagawa". You could say it's his signature masterpiece.
Next, we considered Hokusai's reputation as an artist. He was actually rediscovered and celebrated abroad long before his genius was fully appreciated again in Japan—that only happened relatively recently. This dynamic, where something becomes treasured in Japan because it's popular overseas, is very similar to the journey of kawaii culture.
With that in mind, we looked into which of Hokusai's works are most famous abroad. We discovered that in the English-speaking world, "Fine Wind, Clear Morning", popularly known as "Red Fuji", is incredibly popular.
And finally, there was one more piece I personally found fascinating: the waves in "Great Waves". It’s a rare work that depicts a pair of 'male' and 'female' waves, which are sometimes called "husband-and-wife waves" or 'husband-and-wife waves.' It's just so powerful and captivating.
For all these reasons, we decided to feature these three pieces as the main designs for the project," says Kurebayashi.
The Fusion of Hokusai's Uniqueness and 'Kawaii'
From the outset, the theme of 'Hokusai' was a core part of the Sumida City Tourism Association's plan. However, the choice was about more than just honoring a local legend. Hokusai was known as an eccentric even during his lifetime—a cat lover who constantly changed his art name while continuing to create, a man who forged his own unique path. This very uniqueness resonates with the modern sensibility of 'kawaii,' making him an approachable and beloved figure."Hokusai's art, much like the Mona Lisa, has already inspired countless remakes and spin-offs. That's exactly why we intentionally didn't get hung up on creating a faithful reproduction of the original.
"Instead, our focus was on blending the charming and unique personality of Hokusai himself with our own catchy take on 'kawaii.' We also wanted to channel the diverse emotions and inner passions of people with disabilities into the artwork. With that in mind, we decided to go all out with a bold and unrestrained style.
"Of course, pure 'freedom' can lead to a loss of creative focus. So, we kept Hokusai's original line work as a foundation and layered on a sense of playfulness. For instance, we reimagined the sea spray and clouds as star shapes and depicted the tiny droplets as 'sparkling' sparkles. We also tucked away sea creatures among the waves and snuck expressive cats into the whirlpools.
"While honoring the essence of Hokusai's original work, we aimed to express the rich, free-flowing power of imagination that stems from it," explains Kurebayashi.
As a Gateway to the Future of Tradition
In addition to the art decorating the temporary construction hoarding for the Tokyo Higashi Shinkin Bank's Kinshicho Branch during its renovation, the project has also branched out into products like T-shirts.
The Skytree was added to '凱風快晴,' and for '神奈川沖浪裏,' illustrations drawn by people with disabilities were adopted as-is for the clouds. What's more, the line art of the cat hiding in '怒涛図' was also created by people using welfare facilities.
This creative fusion—Hokusai x artists with disabilities x kawaii—has given birth to a wonderfully strange and liberated world.
"For '神奈川沖浪裏,' I used Hokusai's original line art for the waves and took charge of the coloring and illustration collage," Kurebayashi notes. "While we added elements like cats and fish, the original line drawings for them were done by people with disabilities.
"When it came to coloring, I was careful not to undermine the intent of the original painting. We made sure to preserve the key concepts and color contrasts of the original, like keeping Red Fuji red and using Hokusai blue as the base for the waves," she adds.
Kurebayashi also shared her hope that the project will use kawaii as a key to open a new door to Japanese culture for young people and international audiences.
"Hokusai had a tremendous impact on Western art, and his global appeal is now being re-appreciated in Japan as well. But despite his worldwide fame, it’s said he struggled financially throughout his life. That's something that resonates with our modern era, and I believe it's precisely in a society where people face such hardships that we need spaces for free expression and new values.
"Without a doubt, many people will stop and take notice just because it's 'Hokusai.' If that entry point helps them discover the system where 'buying art leads to donations' and 'gives back to the community,' it can become a new way to carry on our culture, all while leveraging Hokusai's iconic image," says Kurebayashi.
"As a 'Regional Revitalization Evangelist' for the Cabinet Office, I’ve had many chances to connect with artisans of traditional crafts. In Japan, there's a perception that these crafts are 'too expensive and out of reach,' and we're seeing them slowly decline as a result.
"Meanwhile, inbound tourism demand is on the rise, and there's a strong national push to promote Japan's appeal abroad. I have a strong feeling that if we could just add a dash of 'kawaii' to traditional crafts, we could introduce their value to a whole new demographic and dramatically expand the market.
"By combining tradition with 'kawaii' and broadcasting its appeal to the world, I believe the value system of 'kawaii' itself will become even more widespread," says Saionji.
This initiative, where every participant collectively reimagines the world of Hokusai, transforms traditions that often feel inaccessible into something deeply personal and familiar. By allowing younger generations and global audiences to connect with Hokusai and Japanese culture through the lens of 'kawaii,' this project serves as a new gateway between tradition and modernity, shining a light on a promising future.
PROFILE
Haruka Kurebayashi
Haruka Kurebayashi began her modeling career in 2009 with the Harajuku-style magazine "KERA". She shares KAWAII culture with the world through her work in fashion, music, and content creation.
Since 2015, her focus has shifted to making guest appearances at KAWAII culture events worldwide.
In 2018, she began collaborating with international academics as a co-researcher on studies and papers about KAWAII fashion.
She has built a massive international following on social media and is a prominent KAWAII icon, notable for being the first Japanese person to be interviewed twice by Instagram's official account.
PROFILE
Rei Saionji
Born in Tokyo. A graduate of Sophia University's Department of English, Faculty of Foreign Studies.
Producer for Team Mercurius and a Regional Revitalization Evangelist for the Cabinet Office of Japan (since 2019).
Her experience includes managing a company that imports and sells European goods, primarily from Italy, and running a Gothic cafe in Ura-Harajuku. She is currently involved in regional revitalization projects, including attracting inbound tourism, developing products and events, supporting the global expansion of traditional Japanese crafts, and conducting collaborative research on Kawaii culture.
Authored work: "2 Hours Drive from Tokyo"
Text by Tajimax
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