Art Section IV: Modern Nature Tourism/New Fuji, Meguro

What form of travel is a relatively modern phenomenon?

Vacation

What is the goal of a religious pilgrimage?

Enlightenment, worship, or contemplation

What industry has developed in the modern era?

Leisure travel industry

What is an important component of traveling for pleasure?

The opportunity to appreciate the natural landscape

How is nature defined in the modern era?

As something separate from the realm of human endeavor

When did the modern era begin?

Mid-1700s

What is the role of nature in the moden era?

It is an escape from modern, urban life

How have artists depicted nature in the past several centuries?

As something refreshing and rejuvenating

What feelings can nature also evoke?

National pride or sublime grandeur

What is one of the most recognizable sites in Japan?

Mount Fuji

When did tourism to Mount Fuji intensify?

1700s and 1800s

Why did tourism to Mount Fuji intensify?

Religious pilgrimage was supplemented by a new focus on touristic travel

Who was one of the most famous artists of the 1700s and 1800s?

Utagawa Hiroshige

What did Hiroshige focus on?

Images of noteworthy locations around Japan

When was Hiroshige born?

1797

What was Hiroshige's birth name?

Andō Tokutarō

What happened to Hiroshige when he was fourteen?

He became an orphan and began studying painting

Who taught Hiroshige how to paint?

Utagawa Toyohiro

When did Hiroshige start producing landscapes?

1830

How many images did Hiroshige make?

8000

How long was Hiroshige's career?

30 years

Who was Hiroshige's student?

Suzuki Chinpei

What did Suzuki do after Hiroshige's death?

Continue producing images from Hiroshige's series

What name did Suzuki use to sign his work?

Hiroshige II

When did Hiroshige die?

1858

What form of travel image did Hiroshige use in New Fuji, Meguro?

Colored print

What was the origin of colored prints?

Edo in the 1700s

When did Edo become known as Tokyo?

1868

When did colored prints flourish?

Edo period (1603-1868)

Who controlled Japan during the Edo period?

Tokugawa family

How did Japan change during the Edo period?

It became one of the most literate and urban societies in the world

What became more common during the Edo period?

Travel for pleasure

What did written travel guides do?

Introduce readers to noteworthy sites, historical events, and natural wonders

What was the center of publishing?

Nihonbashi district

How many bookstores and print shops were in the Nihonbashi district?

Nearly 3 dozen

When did prints become their own important art form?

Mid-1700s

What genre were Hiroshige's prints a part of?

Ukiyo-e

What does ukiyo-e translate to?

Pictures of the floating world

What does the term ukiyo-e refer to?

A subject matter popular among an educated, urban audience in the late Edo period

What kinds of scenes were included in ukiyo-e?

Tea houses, celebrities, annual festivals and celebrations, and scenic views of cities and the countryside

What were some important sub-genres of ukiyo-e?

Erotica and religious and folkloric imagery

What techniques were used to make ukiyo-e images?

Drawing, painting, and printing

What method was used to make New Fuji, Meguro?

Nishiki-e

What is nishiki-e?

A multicolor woodblock printing process

How does woodblock printing work?

The design is drawn on a wooden block and the areas that the artist does not want printed are cut away, leaving a raised design

What does nishiki-e translate to?

Brocade pictures

What specifically does nishiki-e refer to?

Multi-colored prints of ukiyo-e subjects

What influenced nishiki-e?

Imported images from Europe

What Western pictorial technique did nishiki-e sometimes use?

Linear perspective

Who had to cooperate to produce a print?

An artist, block cutters, printer, and publisher

How many copies could a large print run have?

10,000 to 15,000

How accessible were prints?

They were affordable and widely available

How were prints often issued?

In thematically focused portfolios

What are some famous examples of print portfolios?

Katsushika Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji and Hiroshige's Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō

What series is New Fuji from?

One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (1856-1859)

What was depicted in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo?

Festivals, urban daily life, and natural wonders around the capital

What aspect of mid-nineteenth century Japan does New Fuji, Meguro demonstrate?

Increasing interest in nature tourism

How far is Mount Fuji from Tokyo?

60 miles

What is significant about Mount Fuji?

It is the tallest point in Japan

What makes Mount Fuji easily recognizable?

Its symmetrical low conical shape

When did Mount Fuji last erupt?

1707

What is Mount Fuji a symbol of?

Japanese national identity

Which groups make pilgrimages to Mount Fuji?

Male pilgrims from the Shugendō branch of Buddhism and members of the Fujikō sect

Under what conditions were women allowed to participate in pilgrimages?

A rigorous period of purification and not ascending all the way to the summit

What kind of infrastructure was created to accommodate pilgrims to Mount Fuji?

Roads, roadside shrines, and hostels

When did infrastructure for pilgrims start to grow?

12th century

What was the main purpose of pilgrimages to Mount Fuji?

Appeasing deities to prevent eruptions

How did the perception of Mount Fuji change in the Edo period?

It became viewed more as a national symbol rather than a religious site

How does Mount Fuji appear in Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji?

In various scales, from various angles, at all times of year

How is Fuji presented in Under Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa

As a part of the landscape

What did Mount Fuji transform into the in the later nineteenth century?

A site of recreation and leisure

What does One Hundred Famous Views of Edo focus on?

Touristic appreciation of Mount Fuji from a distance

Why did many people choose to view Fuji from the city instead of making the journey to it?

It was far from Edo and challenging to climb

What does Hiroshige show viewers doing in New Fuji, Meguro?

Looking at Mount Fuji from a specially constructed platform in the Edo suburbs

In the print, what are tourists doing near the base of the platform?

Taking refreshment from tea stands and strolling among blooming cherry trees

What groups of people are present as tourists?

Women, elderly people, and children

How does Mount Fuji appear in the print?

Its snow-covered top is seen from miles away but is visible in the otherwise flat landscape

What is odd about the platform the tourists are standing on?

It is shaped like Mount Fuji

How did the mini-Fujis mimic the real Fuji?

They copied its shape and some had paths similar to the one pilgrims used to hiked up the real Fuji

When was the first Fuji replica built?

1779

How many mini-Fujis were constructed?

More than 100

Where and when was the mini-Fuji in New Fuji built?

Meguro in 1819

What was the intention of making mini-Fujis?

To make ascending Fuji easier and more democratic

What did one 1818 text say about the benefits of mini-Fujis?

"men, women, young and old could set their hearts at peace."

What could visitors to mini-Fujis do on festival days?

Buy snacks and souvenirs and view Mount Fuji in their everyday clothes

What artists made drawings and prints showing the festive atmosphere of mini-Fujis?

Hiroshige, Hasegawa Settan, and Kobayashi Eijirō

What is noteworthy about the scale Hiroshige uses?

Mount Fuji and the mini-Fuji look similar in size

What could the "famous view of Edo" be?

The image of Mount Fuji or the mini-Fujis that were created due to a growing tourist culture fueled by nishiki-e prints

How has Mount Fuji tourism changed today?

It has radically intensified

What recognition did Fuji receive in 2013?

UNESCO World Heritage Site

What landmarks are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Global landmarks of historical and cultural significance for conservation

How many tourists hiked Fuji annually in the 2010s?

300,000

What became challenging due to the influx of tourists?

Preserving Mount Fuji

Which prefectures are responsible for Mount Fuji?

Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures

What measures were put in place in 2024 to limit the number of tourists?

¥4000 fee, earlier closing times, required reservations, restrictions on the number of reservations

What continues to be a huge business?

Nature tourism

What are some of the problems tourists cause on Mount Fuji?

Leaving trash behind or eroding the paths to the summit