when hokusai made his famous series of wood block prints featuring mount fuji, he was around 70, old some but not for him. he considered it a new beginning of his life as an artist which he felt had onlyjust begun. at the age of 75 he takes the name old man crazy to paint which is wonderful, i think it's an expression of this continuing ambition. he is determined, the older he gets, the better he will become. from the age of 90, there is an extraordinary painting of a dragon in a rain cloud. technically this is a staggering painting and hokusai has this all worked out in his head before he ever touches his brush to paper. you can't make corrections with this kind of painting, it's not like an oil painting where you can scrub a bit out and do it again. you've got to get it right the first time. his popularity is international. he crosses borders and cultures. what is it about his work that makes it resonate so? he's interested in the world of work. ordinary people going about their business in sometimes amazing nature, sometimes in the city of edo. it's not the really grand people he