SPECIAL SERIES
This is the first in a series of Art In Your Inbox editions developed with the support of the Japan Business Society of Detroit
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The First Sunrise of the Year
Artwork Title: Sunrise at Susaki Point (New Year's Print)
Artist: Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1800-1829, color woodblock print on paper, Bequest of Margaret Watson Parker, 1954/1.472
The First Sunrise of the Year, or Hatsuhinode in Japanese, comes from the Shinto tradition where people had to greet the god of the new year, Toshigami, at sunrise. The First Sunrise of the Year represents hope, renewal, and rejuvenation and is celebrated with a long list of other first activities for the New Year, which are thought to bring good fortune. Many families will watch the first sunrise, some will watch it at their own homes, those who don’t want to watch it outside can watch the broadcast from the news station, while others travel to popular locations for viewing the sunrise.

Reflection Prompts:
  • The First Sunrise of the Year is a symbol of hope and rejuvenation. What are you hopeful for as we start a New Year?
  • Susaki Point was a popular spot for viewing the First Sunrise of the Year during the Edo period, yet the artist chooses to represent a woman standing alone. What do you think the artist is trying to convey by painting a single woman instead of a bustling crowd?
The First Sunrise of the Year!

The importance of the First Sunrise of the Year is displayed in this video, which shows people flying over Mt. Fuji in an airplane to experience the first sunrise of 2019. The passengers' excitement is evident as they crowd around the windows, taking videos and pictures as the sun starts to rise.
Image: Wikipedia
Other Japanese New Year's Traditions

There are many other traditions in Japanese culture that people participate in to celebrate the New Year. Some of these are more firsts for the New Year, others are traditional decorations put up in the home, and others are traditional foods that are eaten during the New Year.
About JBSD
This edition of Art in Your Inbox is generously supported by the Japan Business Society of Detroit. JBSD is a non-profit organization that works to promote exchanges between "business," "culture," and "people" in order to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. UMMA is grateful for their ongoing support and partnership.
Art in Your Inbox Contributors
  • Natsu Oyobe, Curator of Asian Art at the University of Michigan Museum of Art
  • Payton Johnson, undergraduate student in Middle East Studies and Art History and Intern for Asian Art at UMMA
  • Kilala Ichie-Vincent is a junior in the Taubman school of Architecture. She enjoys researching and understanding ways in which our society works and how the world influences people.
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