Picture of Leaning Tower of Pisa Ukiyo-e

Origin Story

Once upon a time there was a young man named Hiroshi who dreamed of traveling the world. He wanted to see the wonders the land had to offer, and he knew he should start with Italy. So he made his preparations and left for Pisa.


Once there, Hiroshi was amazed by the beautiful scenery and the tall tower that stood before him. He spent hours admiring the Leaning Tower of Pisa and taking photos as a souvenir. But what he didn't know was that his trip would inspire his future career in art.


Hiroshi returned home with a clear vision of the Italian landscape in his head. Once back home, he set to work and created an ukiyo-e (a Japanese painting) depicting the Leaning Tower of Pisa that he had seen in Italy. The canvas was so beautiful that Hokusai, the greatest Japanese master of his time, decided to make an original copy of it signed by himself! This painting is now known as the "Tower of Pisa" or "Hokusai's Tower of Pisa" and is considered an internationally recognized masterpiece!