Hokusai Yoshino Waterfall print – Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki print – Hokusai – 1832

Hokusai Yoshino Waterfall print – Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki print – Hokusai – 1832 This awesome Hokusai Yoshino Waterfall print was created by the artist Katsushika Hokusai. Known simply as Hokusai, he was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. He is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the iconic print The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The monumental Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji was created in response to a domestic travel boom in Japan and as part of a personal interest in Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically, that secured his fame both in Japan and overseas. The original Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki print dates back to the Edo period between 1615 and 1868. The Japanese title translates to The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed His Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province. It is from Hokusai’s series of ukiyo-e prints titled ‘A Tour of Waterfalls in Various Provinces’ (Shokoku taki meguri) which was produced in  1832. Hokusai’s powerful Hokusai Yoshino Waterfall print graphic captures an episode from the heroic but tragic life of General Minamoto no Yoshitsune. The Japanese commander was a real historical figure, of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. Over the centuries, his life story has become entwined with legend, making him one of Japan’s most enduring heroes. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous Samurai Warriors in the history of Japan. One of the many stories about Yoshitsune tells of a power struggle between himself and his elder brother Yoritomo. Legend claims Yoritomo,  considered Yoshitsune a rival for control of the Minamoto clan and was forced to flee for his life. Part of his escape is said to have taken place in and around the mountains around the town of Yoshino in the Yamato Province. Today the area is now known as the Yoshino District in Japan’s, Nara region. The Nara Prefecture is an ancient sacred site and ancient pilgrimage route as well as a major religious and literary site. It is considered one of the oldest regions in Japan, having been in existence for thousands of years, and is widely viewed as the Japanese cradle of civilisation. It is believed that while making his escape, pursued by his own clan, Yoshitsune stopped to rest. Hiding from the enemy in the highlands surrounding the waterfall, the General took the time to wash his steed in the falling waters of a waterfall. This act of washing the horse at the waterfall became a part of Japanese folklore. It represents resilience, the bond between warriors and their steeds, and the beauty found even in moments of hardship. A reminder of the importance of using one’s wit and available resources to survive. It is this legend that Hokusai vividly recounts in his Hokusai Yoshino Waterfall print. However, instead of portraying the famous General, the artist has depicted two peasants, or perhaps travellers, cleansing the animals in the legendary location. Washū Yoshino Yoshitsune uma arai no taki print – The Waterfall Where Yoshitsune Washed His Horse at Yoshino in Yamato Province poster