I wonder if you went too early in the run; or do you think the over-"crowdidity" will be a constant? (Crowdidity? Full foolmet fine thy coinage flies!) I ask because an English friend will be in town on business later in the month and she might like seeing it. (I know I would...IF I could see it!)

It was too crowded to see anything properly -- although I don't blame the museum for that....

The more I think about this, the more I don't get it. Seems it should be possible to calculate a maximum acceptable viewer density and regulate ingress based on current density and egress rate. Was there any evidence that they were doing something like that, or was the flow determined solely by how fast they could process tickets? (Incredulity aimed at them, not you, of course!)

I have no idea... most of the museums/exhibitions I go to are so non-crowded that if I see another person on the same floor I feel claustrophobic. I guess it will probably thin out, and then thick back up towards the end of the run. (If your friend can go during a weekday, that might help!)

I guess from the museum's point of view, either they let everyone in and hope for the best (with a warning that it'll be cramped), or they allow huge lines to form and money to go to other establishments in the area. I don't blame them for choosing the route that made them the most money. If you were really determined, and happy to shuffle along at a very slow pace (including long periods where you could see little but the wall between prints), you COULD see everything there.

that hokusai museum is nice, but the real reason to visit obuse is this!