An ukiyo-e artist of the late Edo period, born in Honjo, Edo (present-day Sumida, Tokyo). He apprenticed under a woodblock engraver at 14, then studied painting under Katsukawa Shunshō. He moved house 93 times in his life and used more than 30 artist names, living with unbounded freedom. His masterwork, Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji—including "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and "Fine Wind, Clear Morning"—is celebrated worldwide as one of the pinnacles of Japanese art. Hokusai Manga contributed enormously to spreading Japanese art in the West and sparked the Japonisme boom among French Impressionists including Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas. He continued painting past the age of 90, reportedly saying that with just a few more years he could truly capture his vision. He kept his brush until just before his death from pneumonia at the age of 88.

A man of boundless passion for painting and a spirit of freedom that defied convention. He put creation before fame and pursued technical mastery until his final years. Known as an eccentric, he was reportedly sincere and thorough in instructing his students.

"The Great Wave" has become one of the most recognized Japanese artworks in the world and continues to influence contemporary popular culture. His contribution to redirecting Western modern art through Japonisme is incalculable. The Sumida Hokusai Museum preserves and disseminates his legacy.