By: Mercedes Martínez / AURORA
In a country with so many regulations and with a minimalist aesthetic in most of its streets, doing graffiti becomes even more challenging than in other places, since Japan has a government that strictly penalizes vandalism, what makes of graphite, an underprivileged artistic expression.
Even so, it has existed and invaded the streets for several decades, which is why today we decided to dedicate this space to the street art of Tokyo.
The safest way to illegally intervene in public space in Japan is with stickers, but to see something else, you have to go to streets and places that are far away or little traveled.
The cameras, fines and prison, as well as the constant cleaning of the public space mean that practically in the abandoned, dangerous or taken over by the drug cartels there are pints.
Shibuya and Harajuku They are some of the few but famous neighborhoods in Tokyo where we can see illegal graffiti and interventions in a more usual way. One of the most famous phrases you can find is that of “Tokyo is yours”, although it is not known who makes it.
One of the most representative crews in Tokyo is 246Crew; Some of its best known members are MQ, WANTO and ZOMBRA (Mexico). Another relevant crew in Japan is 24K; made up of the writers HENKA, GNASH and BAMS, among others.
Due to its legality, carry out urban art It's a little easier than doing graffiti. Although regulations and bureaucracy complicate the road more than in other countries; the fashion of murals has also prevailed in Japan. Brands like Nike and Adidas have normalized murals as part of their advertising, favoring local and international artists.
Koenji Ward and Tennosu Island are some of the key places in Tokyo to see street art. Its incredible and characteristic murals have been a tourist attraction for several years. Near the Futako Tamagawa station you can also find murals and graffiti, thanks to the fact that it is an artistic neighborhood.
We don't have enough time to talk about all the writers and urban artists who have intervened in the streets of Tokyo, but it is worth mentioning AKIONE and Ly, one of the few women on the national scene, with their characteristic kawaii touch.
And since we are in this name dropping, it is worth mentioning WOOF ONE with its square flower; a MAWs with his irreverent happy face, Keenue with its abstract pop, to ESOW and the brothers SHART and BAHK, with its famous characters.
Although graffiti artists do not have institutional support and suffer much higher fines in Japan than in other countries, as well as imprisonment for making illegal graffiti; it is a fact that graffiti and urban art came to Tokyo to stay, because even there are urban artists who already have exhibitions in Japanese galleries, which tells us about the acceptance and normalization of these artistic manifestations.
However, I love the result of the combination of cultures and lettering tagged, two oops and murals that mix traditional tags with kanjis, as well as characters and figures from traditional Japanese culture and kawai, which greatly enriches the world of street art.