A Symbol Of Japan That Fits Australia Like A Shoe

Given the powerful pull of the surf culture in Australia, a link with Katsushika Hokusai‘s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa that immediately conveys an image of Japan was almost inevitable, but also symbolizes the strong ties between the two countries almost made for each other.

Countless Australian companies, organizations, entrepreneurs, artists and others utilize or have utilized directly or derivatively the iconic Japanese work forming one of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

Even though the Great Wave is an instantly recognizable image that embodies the essence of Japanese spirit, particularly with the inclusion of Mount Fuji, Australia has long recognized the work as a shared connection between the countries.

Back in the 1960s Australian surfwear giant Quiksilver emerged and chose to model its corporate logo of a wave over a mountain on the Great Wave. When it formed the women’s label, Roxy, Quiksilver tilted a pair of its logos to form a heart shape it used as a symbol, further broadening the hint of Hokusai. Quiksilver’s great Australian rival and later subsidiary Billabong would also adopt the wave theme for its logo.

A year after Quiksilver was formed, the Australia Pavilion at the 1970 Osaka Expo would also model itself on the Great Wave (as Kangaroo.com reported way back in 2014).

The hall was wildly popular and would continue to serve as a symbol of Japan-Australia ties as the Australian Memorial Hall when it was relocated to Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, following the world’s fair, where it remained until it was demolished in 2014.

Australian Crawl, one of Australia’s most successful bands in the early 1980s, would also use ukiyo-e woodblock print as the cover of The Final Wave, its last release before breaking up for good in 1986.

Innumerable cafés, breweries, street-artists and small brands across Australia adapt or reference the Wave for labels, murals, stickers, apparel and limited promotions.

Small studios and designers in Australia produce Hokusai-inspired prints, apparel and packaging. These are frequent in local design markets and craft fairs. Etsy Australia‘s site has more than 1,000 entries for Great Wave apparel.

Such ubiquity prompted the Australian Broadcasting Commission to ponder whether the Great Wave is the most reproduced artwork in history.

Australian affinity for the Great Wave can probably be put down to a few reasons.

The Great Wave is iconic and in the public domain. The print is copyright free and instantly recognisable worldwide, which makes it easy and inexpensive to reuse and reproduce without fear of repercussions.

Hokusai’s surf and ocean symbolism are fit for Australian brands focused on a beach-centered lifestyle. The imagery naturally maps onto Australian surf culture and coastal industries, prompting surfwear, festivals, tourism and bars to appropriate it. Quiksilver is the clearest corporate example.

Museum exhibitions, media exposure and frequent use amplify re-use. Major Hokusai exhibitions and related releases in Australia spur secondary uses such as merch, tie-in promos and design riffs.