Sumida Hokusai Museum

Overview

The Sumida Hokusai Museum is a striking aluminum-clad museum in Sumida ward dedicated to Katsushika Hokusai, the legendary ukiyo-e artist who created The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Highlights

• The Architecture: Kazuyo Sejima's stunning cube-like aluminum building features dramatic angular cuts and slit-like entrances that play with light and reflection.
• The Great Wave: High-resolution replicas and contextual displays explaining the creation and global impact of Hokusai's most famous series, Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.
• Life-Size Studio: A detailed recreation of Hokusai's cramped studio showing how the obsessive artist worked into his 90s.

History

Opened in 2016 in the Sumida ward neighborhood where Hokusai was born in 1760 and spent most of his life. The museum was decades in the planning, driven by local community advocacy.

Visitor Tips

• Touch Screens: The interactive digital displays let you zoom into woodblock print details and explore Hokusai's techniques.
• Skytree Combo: Combine with nearby Tokyo Skytree, which is a 15-minute walk away.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.