The government will start issuing passports featuring designs based on the works of ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai from as early as this month.
The visa section of the new passports will include designs from the Edo-period artist's "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji."
The ukiyo-e series, which features depictions of the UNESCO World Heritage site from various locations, was apparently chosen to raise interest in Japanese culture.
As soon as one of the issuing offices has run out of stock of the current passport version, offices nationwide will begin issuing the new version.
The 10-year passports feature 24 prints from the series, including "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and "Shower Below the Summit," while the five-year passports feature 16 prints from the series.
The new passports also have improved IC chips and forgery prevention measures.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
