From Barcelona's Japanese Manga Street to the Influence of Japanese Ukiyo-e on European Art

Near Barcelona's Arc de Triomf, there are many Chinese-owned restaurants and supermarkets—where the first wave of Chinese entrepreneurs began their businesses. Here, you can find milk tea, hot pot, boiled fish in chili oil, clay pot rice, and soup dumplings, catering to Chinese palates from all regions.

Besides the abundance of Chinese shops, this area has another characteristic. On weekends, the streets are filled with young people buying Japanese manga and related merchandise. Small shops selling anime books and character goods are frequented by the youth and parents buying gifts. Many stores even carry original Japanese-language manga. Japanese manga fills a gap in reading material suitable for young Europeans. Many households own complete sets of Japanese manga. European books are expensive, typically two to three times the price in China. Collecting a full set of manga truly costs a fortune.

Speaking of Japanese culture's influence on Europe, it didn't start with manga. It began as early as the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, ukiyo-e declined in Japan. Many ukiyo-e prints became worthless and were used as wrapping paper for Japanese tea and porcelain exported to the Netherlands. At that time, Vincent van Gogh, living in the Netherlands, saw this wrapping in a general store and was immediately captivated by the clear lines and bright colors of ukiyo-e. He began collecting and copying ukiyo-e landscapes, dropping concerns about shadows, perspective, and simplifying details.

Even more obsessed than van Gogh was Monet. He built a Japanese bridge in his garden at home and painted a portrait of his wife wearing a kimono and holding a fan. The world-famous wave print comes from the ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai. His Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji depicted Mount Fuji in different seasons and perspectives, greatly inspiring Monet, who created his own Poplars series and Haystacks series.