The civil war in Japan had a profound impact on its culture and society, particularly within the realms of art and literature. During this period, many artists began to explore new techniques and styles which led to the emergence of several prominent figures—one such artist being Hokusai Katsushika (1830-1904). He is best known for his “Great Wave” painting which symbolized tremendous changes that were occurring during this time period (Vogel, 2018).

Hokusai began working with landscape painting in the early 1830s and quickly began experimenting with different techniques like overlapping shapes & color gradients – striving to find ways to capture emotion more effectively. As he continued developing his craft, he eventually adopted an approach commonly referred to as Ukiyo-e—or ‘pictures of the floating world’ – which sought to bring life and movement into depicting everyday experiences such as nature scenes or tales from folklore etc.

It was through his work with Ukiyo-e style that Hokusai created what would become one of the most iconic images ever produced: The great wave of Kanagawa. This stunning piece has been called a breakthrough moment for Japanese art & provided viewers around world insight into nation’s unique cultural heritage & artistic spirit.

Overall, it is clear that Hokusai played an integral role in influencing modern Japanese art after civil war—evolving traditional methods while simultaneously introducing people around globe to beauty & power of East Asian aesthetics. His works remain widely celebrated today not only because they are aesthetically pleasing but also due to their ability to evoke deep emotions no matter where you look at them from.