"Susanoo-no-Mikoto Yakujin Taiji no Zu", the lost painting by Hokusai

 Katsushika Hokusai Collection 

Susanoo-no-Mikoto Yakujin Taiji no Zu

Making a pact with the spirits of disease

After almost a century, an "oema" (large wooden votive table) painting by famed ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) that was destroyed in an earthquake has been recreated in color.

At 86, he created this monumental, 3-meter-wide composition using bold brushstrokes to depict the ancient Japanese deity Susanoo slaying several gods of pestilence. The work was destroyed by fire during the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and the only clue to its original form was a single monochrome photograph. In 2016, experts relied on that photo as a guide as they launched a project to recreate this enormous work in its original dimensions. They used cutting edge technology, but faced many challenges, such as determining the work's original colors. This program follows them as they complete the recreation and unveil the true intentions behind this "Lost Hokusai." The original 1845 artwork, 276 centimeters wide and 126 cm long, was Hokusai's largest piece, according to the museum in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.

Watch the full video below.