Mori Yuzan waves and Hikikomori

Hikikomori: Journey from Darkness, by Luke Darracott, features beautiful designs of waves and ripples drawn at the turn of the 20th century.

Most people are familiar with one particular Japanese artwork depicting a wave, that of Hokusai. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is so popular that it inspired many an artist across the world. Its symbolism is so widespread that it has even undergone the greatest physical transformation, from woodblock print to emoji on our phones (🌊).

But, no matter what Westerners might think, Hokusai didn’t invent the Japanese wave in art. Check out the clothing of a terracotta figure from the 6th century and you can already find wave motifs in Japan. The concentrical circles are a sign of good luck and a reminder of the passing of time. The cycling waves embody both the calmness and the ferocity of nature, just as life can be a repetitive dichotomy of lazy Sundays and manic Mondays.

Mori Yuzan’s Hamonshu

Fastforward some 50 years after Hokusai’s wave, and the ebb and flow of these motifs is still ongoing. Not a lot is known about Mori Yuzan, beyond the fact that this Kyoto artist died in 1917. He practiced the Nihonga style, which aimed to preserve traditional Japanese art in response to Westernised trends. Mineral and organic pigments, and ocassionally ink, were used on silk and paper.

What we have in Mori Yuzan’s three volumes, full of waves and ripples, is not just a piece of art, but also a guide to art itself: these motifs would have been used by Japanese craftsmen to decorate their pieces. From sword blades and handles to religious objects, Mori Yuzan’s circling lines plagued life with a constant reminder of water, that force of nature with the power of destroying and restoring in equal measure.

Art and Literature: A Perfect Match

In Hikikomori: Journey From Darkness, a social recluse who hasn’t left the house for years feels compelled to start a journey after a bad storm is announced. Along the way, he will face the Gods and Monsters of Japan, as he faces and defeats his own fears one at a time.

Mori Yuzan’s Hamonshu illustrations are the perfect match to this journey of ups and downs, of going back to the start and reinventing oneself. A repeated wave motif splits each chapter section, and a full-page illustration gives a hint of what will emerge in every chapter of the protagonist’s trip.

A wave from Mori Yuzan’s Hamonshu book.

And remember:…

Hikikomori: Journey from Darkness, by Luke Darracott, is out now, and you can buy it here.

Check out the first pages of the book and Mori Yuzan’s illustrations.