The painter Hokusai has been immortalised, with his most famous work “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” adorning every concievable form of souvenir and representing arguably the most famous work of Japanese art. “Miss Hokusai” tells the story of his lesser-known daughter, O-Ei (Anne Watanabe) who lives in the shadow of her father Tetsuzo (Yutaka Matsushige), later named Hokusai. O-Ei works alongside her father and his apprentice Zenjiro (Gaku Hamada), separate from her mother and blind younger sister O-Nao (Shion Shimizu). Equally talented, but less highly regarded, O-Ei often helps finish off her father’s works, learning from the master artist.
Set in Edo period Japan, the film offers a great insight into the lives of people at the time, as we see the various professions crossing the wide bridge of the city; are introduced to aspects of the culture such as the Yoshiwara brothels and Kabuki theatre. The film blends this attention to period details with more fantastical elements, showing the creativity and imagination of our protagonists. It is a world alive with ghosts and spirits; mundanity tinged with magic. The music by Harumi Fuki and Yo Tsuji blends traditional instruments and melodies with bursts of modern pop, giving modern audiences a sense of how revolutionary the times must have seemed to those living through them. Being a historical account the film eschews plot in favour of episodic storytelling: with romantic, comedic, and tragic moments, particularly in relation to the fate of O-Ei’s younger sister, assembled to create an impression of the character’s numerous influences and experiences.
“Miss Hokusai” captures the essence of the period, showcasing a flowering of arts and culture, as well as Japan’s blend of the earthly and the ethereal. Scenes of O-Ei’s fumbling sexual adventures with a cross-dressing prostitute, sit alongside transcendent sequences of spiritual hands and dragon talons tearing through the clouds. It speaks to the human experience of living between these twin aspects of being, worldy desires and otherworldly dreams. For anyone interested in life at that time, “Miss Hokusai” offers a window into the past, with a character that you are happy to have as a guide.
