The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏 Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura, lit. “Under a Wave off Kanagawa”) is a famous woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai. It was published in 1832 (Edo Period) as the first in Hokusai’s series 36 Views of Mount Fuji and is his most famous work. It depicts an enormous wave threatening boats near the Japanese prefecture of Kanagawa. As in all the other prints in the series, Mount Fuji can be seen in the background. While sometimes assumed to be a tsunami, the wave is more likely to be a large okinami. (Japanese “ocean wave”.) — Wikipedia