Sumida Hokusai Museum

The Sumida Hokusai Museum is an art museum in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, dedicated to the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Opened on November 22, 2016, it stands in Kamezawa, east of the Sumida River, near Ryogoku Station. The museum holds particular significance because Hokusai was born in and spent most of his life in the Sumida area, and the institution both preserves his legacy and examines his global influence, particularly through works such as Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

The museum was developed by the local Sumida Ward government and opened on November 22, 2016, on a site near Hokusai Dori, a street named in the artist's memory. The location carries historical weight: it was once part of the daimyo residence of the Tsugaru clan during the Edo period, and according to local tradition, Hokusai painted a folding screen for the clan at this very site. The institution was established specifically to honor Hokusai's contributions to Japanese art and his worldwide impact.

The museum's collection encompasses more than 1,800 items related to Hokusai, including paintings, sketches, woodblock prints, and personal artifacts. The permanent exhibition on the fourth floor presents high-quality replicas of Hokusai's works, including his woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The collection also includes a recreation of his famously disorderly domestic environment. The remaining floors accommodate temporary exhibitions as well as lecture and assembly halls.

The signature strength of the holdings lies in the comprehensive scope of Hokusai-related materials spanning paintings, sketches, woodblock prints, and personal effects. The permanent exhibition prominently features replicas from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, the series that cemented Hokusai's international reputation. The recreated domestic setting offers insight into his working and living conditions.

The building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima of the firm SANAA. The structure rises 21.9 meters and consists of five interlocking volumes clad in reflective, matte-silver aluminum panels. Its angular, faceted exterior suggests stacked boxes or aligned capital letters, with minimal window openings. The design deliberately incorporates multiple entrances and ground-level passageways that penetrate the building, making it accessible from all sides and integrating it with the surrounding urban fabric. The north side opens toward Midoricho Park, while the south runs along a conventional sidewalk beside the Sobu Main Line tracks. The minimalist aluminum façade and angular geometry were conceived to reflect the movement and dynamism characteristic of Hokusai's artwork.

The museum is located in Kamezawa, Sumida Ward, Tokyo, slightly east of the JR and subway station Ryogoku. It sits in close proximity to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall (including the Sumo Museum), Kyuyasuda Garden, and Yokoamicho Park with the Kanto Earthquake Museum. The museum is closed on Mondays. Regular hours are 9:30 to 17:30. Admission to the permanent exhibition costs 400 yen for adults; a combination ticket for special and permanent exhibitions was priced at 1500 yen as of October 2025. The ground floor contains a museum shop and a small library. The institution is owned and operated by the Sumida Ward government, and its official website is https://hokusai-museum.jp/.