Japan to begin issuing new passports featuring ukiyo-e this month

Japan will begin issuing new passports this month featuring the woodblock works of ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.People who apply from Tuesday will receive passports with the iconic "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" among other pieces from the series "Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji" printed on the pages as an anti-forgery measure.The five-year version will have 16 works from the series, while the 10-year version will contain 24. While the covers will remain unchanged, the new passports will also have more secure IC chips, making it harder for a holder's perso…READ FULL ARTICLE