Where can I see Hokusai's Great Wave today?

Access to “The Great Wave” Today

• The linked site tracks where impressions are on display; people appreciate the RSS feed to catch exhibitions while traveling.
• Summer shows are most common; Japan and the US feature heavily, but prints appear worldwide. A French exhibition recently sold out online almost immediately.
• Multiple institutions (e.g., British Museum, Boston) hold several impressions and rotate them, allowing more frequent or longer exhibitions.
• There are Hokusai museums in Tokyo and Haifa; the Tokyo Sumida Hokusai Museum mainly shows replicas with occasional originals. One Haifa impression is reportedly an “original” but rarely on view.
• There are also digital displays (e.g., at Narita airport).

Conservation, Storage, and Fairness

• A British Museum conservation note (light limits, long dark storage) triggers debate:
  • Is the goal to maximize total viewers, lifespan, or “interested” viewers?
  • Some argue that strict storage privileges hypothetical future visitors over real people who travel now and miss it.
• Others say scarcity encourages only truly motivated visitors, raising the “value per hour of light.”
• Practical constraints matter: museums lack infinite space, so rotating famous works also frees walls for lesser-known pieces.
• Suggestions range from joking about auctioning viewing slots to ultra-short light exposures; concerns about elitism and money vs genuine interest are raised.

Originals vs Replicas, Especially for Prints

• Many question what’s special about seeing an “original” woodblock print when dozens or hundreds exist and blocks were re-carved over time.
• Responses emphasize:
  • Physical qualities (texture, color, scale) that reproductions and photos miss.
  • The historical “aura” and emotional connection of being near an object from a specific time and hand.
  • Parallels with concerts vs recordings, and handmade vs store-bought items.
• Others note that high-quality replicas and digital presentations can be excellent, sometimes more enjoyable (better lighting, no crowds).
• Japanese attitudes toward continually rebuilt shrines and fresh reprints blur the line between “original” and “copy.”

Wider Hokusai and Ukiyo-e Appreciation

• Commenters urge exploring Hokusai beyond The Great Wave, including the Thirty-Six Views series and other striking or erotic works.
• Modern woodblock artists and affordable reprints keep the craft alive; some suggest buying a contemporary Great Wave print for the wall.