Nakajo Hokusaikan

The Nakajo Hokusaikan (Hokusai Museum) in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture, offers a focused collection of works by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), one of Japan's most celebrated ukiyo-e artists. The museum opened in November 1976 and showcases the remarkable creative output from Hokusai's final years when he visited Obuse multiple times between 1844 and 1849 as a guest of Takai Kozan, a wealthy farmer and merchant who served as both patron and student to the aging master.

The museum's centerpiece features two festival floats designated as Nagano Prefecture treasures, each adorned with elaborate ceiling paintings by Hokusai. The Higashimachi float, rebuilt in 1805 and the oldest of Obuse's seven festival floats, displays his Dragon and Phoenix painted when he was 85 years old. The Kamimachi float features Masculine Waves and Feminine Waves, completed at age 86. Visitors can view these intricately decorated floats from 360 degrees within protective glass cases. The collection also includes hand-painted hanging scrolls, folding screens, woodblock prints, and illustrated books spanning Hokusai's career from youth through old age, showcasing his evolution across genres including landscapes, portraits of beautiful women, and bird-and-flower paintings.

The museum experience begins with two audiovisual presentations on Japonism and Hokusai's connection to Obuse. Exhibition spaces display both original paintings and nishiki-e "brocade pictures" in vivid colors that demonstrate why Hokusai called himself a "painting fanatic" throughout his 90-year life. Special temporary exhibitions rotate throughout the year, making return visits worthwhile. About two kilometers from the museum, visitors can see another Hokusai masterpiece at Ganshoin Temple, a Soto Zen temple founded in 1472, where his large phoenix ceiling mural represents one of his final works before his death.

From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station (approximately 1 hour 10 minutes), then transfer to the Nagano Electric Railway to Obuse Station (20 minutes by express, 30 minutes by regular train). The museum is a 12-minute walk from Obuse Station at the town center. Admission costs ¥1,200 for adults, ¥500 for university and high school students, ¥300 for elementary and junior high school students, with free entry for younger children. Dedicated parking is available next to the museum with fees ranging from ¥400 for regular vehicles to ¥2,000 for heavy vehicles for up to three hours.