« 36 Clics du mont Fuji » : le photographe Julien Rocheblave réinvente les mythiques estampes d’Hokusai
French photographer Julien Rocheblave has completed a contemporary photographic reimagining of Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic print series, "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." By locating the exact geographical vantage points used by the ukiyo-e master in the 1830s, Rocheblave captures the sacred mountain through a modern lens, juxtaposing Hokusai's original compositions with the realities of 21st-century Japan. The project, titled "36 Clics du mont Fuji," has been compiled into a book and will be showcased at the Rencontres d’Arles via Fisheye Gallery.
This series serves as a visual dialogue between tradition and hyper-modernity, documenting how the Japanese landscape has shifted from the rural scenes of the Edo period to an era of industrialization, high-speed trains, and amusement parks. While some shots pay homage to Hokusai’s aesthetic through technical prowess—such as a cloudless "Red Fuji"—others strip away the "postcard fantasy" to show the mountain framed by power lines and scaffolding. The work highlights the enduring spiritual significance of the mountain amidst the radical urban transformation of the archipelago.