In 1856, the young French printmaker Bracquemond was shown a collection of ceramics by an acquaintance. These ceramics, imported from Japan, a country then closed to foreign relations, would likely have been rare in Western Europe. However, what captured his attention was not the ceramics themselves but their wrapping paper. It was a page from Katsushika Hokusai’s “Hokusai Manga.(Hokusai Sketch)” Impressed by the artwork, Bracquemond went on to obtain a copy of “Hokusai Manga” through great effort and introduced it to his painter friends in Paris, eventually leading to Hokusai becoming widely known across Europe from France. …Unfortunately, the story is sa […]

Connecting people who enjoy rides. This time, the “Ring-Tomo” introduced by model Miho Ishigaki features sports journalist Kazuyuki Yamaguchi, whom she met through an event job. His relationship with road biking began after his first job post-graduation. He joined a publishing company with the desire to write articles and was assigned to the magazine “CYCLING SPORTS,” which marked the start of his professional involvement with biking. He quickly became responsible for covering the Tour de France, and this has become a routine for him over 30 years of reporting.We spoke with Mr. Yamaguchi about his rides, including his private experiences. *In Global Ride, a new column […]

In the final installment of the Hokusai bicycle stroll, I trace the peak of Hokusai’s life and career. From manga and art performances to the “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” and fascination with Mount Fuji, I’ll explore the areas from Honjo to Asakusa, searching for traces of his legacy. Table of Contents 　1. The Day “Manga” Was Born (50s)　2. The Eccentric Man (60s)　3. The Great Wave (70s)　4. The Man Who Traveled with picture (80s)　5. The buried Giant (90s) The manga artist Akira Toriyama, known for creating “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump,” passed away in 2024, and his death was mourned worldwide. “Manga&#82 […]