Japanese Woodblock Print, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji, the original published c.1830-2, this is a Showa era print from recarved blocks published by Watanabe with a 7mm circular publisher's seal on aft of the ship

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, 15.5 x 10.5 inches

THE LOCATION IS A POINT IN THE BAY OF EDO on the sea route which linked the shogun's capital with the Boso Peninsula, part of which was known as Kazusa. It is certain that Hokusai visited this area in 1840, and in all probability he traveled there on a number of previous occasions. Three of the prints in the Fuji series, including this one, show points on or near the Boso Peninsula. Although a boat almost exactly like the two shown here appears in abbreviated from in Book Four of the Manga, it seems likely that Hokusai sketched this picture only after close personal scrutiny, for the details of the carpentry are shown with exceptional thoroughness.

"The Kazusa Sea Route" is very true to the actual view from the north and east coasts of the Bay of Edo. It will be noted that the horizon has a definite, though slight, curve. Whether this is what Hokusai actually saw or not is problematic: the theory that the earth is round had been imported from the west not much earlier, and it may be that he was simply being "modern." The area shown is not broad enough for the earth's curvature to be noticeable. The signature is "Iitsu, the former Hokusai."

Fine, no flaws