The theme of this edition is super real figurative art. Explore the beauty of astonishingly fine reality in craft products dating back to the 18th century and food samples of today.

In this edition, we look into the magnetism of unique Japanese Buddhist statues of various times such as vigorous Buddhist statue from the Samurai era, unorthodox statue by a wandering monk, and floating Buddha image of present age.

More than 150 years after his death, Katsushika Hokusai remains one of Japan's most well-known artists around the world. His most popular work, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, shows the iconic mountain from multiple perspectives. Hokusai created the illustrations when he was in his seventies. His late blooming was spectacular – it was only in his 70s that he made his most celebrated print series, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, including the famous Great Wave, an image that subsequently swept over the world. "Until the age of 70," he once wrote "nothing that I drew was worthy of notice." The 46 prints of the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji ensured his fame. In Buddhist and Daoist tradition, Hokusai's obsession with Mount Fuji was part of his yearning after artistic immortality. This program delves into the mysteries surrounding the woodblock prints.

The stereotype of Japanese art may involve simplicity and tranquility, as represented in wabi-sabi and Zen. However, other styles contradict any notion of limitations. Such works go to extreme lengths in using loud colors and packing every possible space with extraordinary technique. Visits to Nikko and Niigata, among other spots, reveal the truth that Japanese artistic traditions include the gorgeous, the bizarre, and almost everything in-between.

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