Okamoto’s Myth of Tomorrow at home in Shibuya

Written by: Michael Keferl on November 21, 2008 at 1:47 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION |

Taro Okamoto’s famed (and once lost) mural “Myth of Tomorrow” now has a permanent home in Tokyo’s Shibuya Station. To be quite honest, it was a bit shocking at first without context, but the 30 meter long work depicts the moment that the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima during WWII in all the fury of hell unleashed.

This is interesting for several reasons, not least of which is the choice of location. Shibuya is far from being a somber place to reflect on the tragedy of nuclear warfare, but perhaps that’s what makes it a good location. It shocks people and makes them stop, which was a nice surprise for me (who always assumed Tokyoites stop for nothing). Despite the rush hour traffic of people scrambling away from the office, crowds gathered in front of the mural taking photos and talking.

After being lost in Mexico for decades, “Myth of Tomorrow” was rediscovered and restored at the behest of Okamoto’s widow who died only a couple of weeks before it made the journey to Japan.

Tags: Art
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
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