What is the Japanese title of Hokusai’s ukiyo-e print commonly called The Great Wave off Kanagawa?

Hokusai’s ukiyo-e print commonly called The Great Wave off Kanagawa is titled Kanagawa-oki nami ura.

The Japanese title means “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” or “In the Well of the Wave off Kanagawa.” It identifies the scene’s location and dramatic viewpoint: boats struggle beneath a towering wave, while Mount Fuji appears in the distance.

The print is the first design in Hokusai’s series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, although the series eventually contained more than thirty-six images. It was probably published around 1830–1832 during Japan’s Edo period.

English-speaking audiences usually know the work by its descriptive title, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The Japanese title is sometimes shortened in romanized form, but Kanagawa-oki nami ura is the standard transliteration. The image is often mistaken for a depiction of a tsunami; art historians generally interpret the wave as a large offshore wave threatening fishing boats.