"Mount Fuji with Cherry Trees in Bloom" was created when Hokusai was in his forties, around the time he called himself "Gakyojin" or "Man Crazy about Drawing." It captures a beautiful springtime scene with cherry trees in full bloom overlapping one another, a spring haze wafting around them, and the sacred Mount Fuji with a dusting of snow in the background. Hokusai depicted the majestic mountain throughout his life and was known as "the artist of Mount Fuji." However, this is a hidden masterpiece that few people know about, and only a very small number of prints are in existence today. The piece, with a beautiful composition of Mount Fuji and cherry trees in full bloom, is a representation of a scene the Japanese hold near and dear to their heart. Pale colors are printed over one another numerous times to create elegant and sophisticated shades of color, and a printing technique called "karazuri" is used to create an embossed effect, giving dimension to the petals of the cherry blossoms. Such techniques unique to woodcut prints were used unsparingly by Hokusai for the privately commissioned work to create a splendidly elaborate masterpiece.

"Surimono" are woodcut prints that were privately commissioned for special occasions in the Edo period. Unlike woodcut prints printed on single pieces of paper that were planned for and sold to the general public, the commissioned prints were extravagant works of art created to meet the refined tastes and intentions of the intellectuals who ordered the pieces, using elegant colors and incorporating many elaborate printing techniques such as "karazuri (embossing)." Thick Japanese hand-made paper of high quality was used to bring out the intricate printing techniques. In addition, special-order prints were made in various sizes, and this piece was produced using paper that is larger in width than standard. Many superb examples of extravagant "surimono" created with the most sophisticated techniques are still preserved to this day.

This is a very intricate piece of work created for a special client, and Hokusai demonstrated his masterful brushwork when giving subtle nuances to the outlines of the petals, using many colors for the outlines. Carving the woodblocks to faithfully recreate Hokusai's brushwork is difficult work requiring much time and effort. The most sophisticated carving techniques are demanded to produce this piece.

Since the elegant and delicate shades of color in this print are created by printing pale colors over one another repeatedly, the printing process for this work requires a great deal of time. Many other intricate printing techniques are utilized, such as "karazuri" (a printing technique used to create an embossed effect by applying strong pressure without any ink applied to the woodblock), used to portray the cherry trees in full bloom, and "bokashizuri," used to express the gradation of colors on the flower petals.