Rakugaki-Dame-Zettai: A Collection of Tokyo’s Graffiti Findings
Tokyo isn’t necessarily the first place coming to mind when thinking of graffiti culture.
One might assume that urban areas and the illegal bombardment of public spaces go hand in hand. However, the world’s largest metropolis breaks this intuitive assumption with an environment that largely remains tidy and manicured. Japan puts great emphasis on respect and order, both culturally and domestic politically, leaving only brief moments for undisturbed civil disobedience.
A city that never sleeps with masses of unresting pedestrians strolling the pavements and plenty of surveillance cameras without the option to blink. Here, pulling out a spray can is incomparable to other places. Still, there are writers defying strict laws with remorseless penalties.
Moving in darkness, silently and quickly, they manage to let graffiti, referred to as rakugaki [落書き], express notions of rebellion in a widely collectivist culture.
The Instagram channel Rakugaki-Dame-Zettai made it its mission to report Tokyo’s constant transformation through subversive spatial interventions involving walls, garages, storefronts, powerboxes, vending machines, and so on. Probably having built a network of contributors keen and alert, they have arranged an extensive archive of the city’s best tags, stickers, and throw-ups [which are the most prevalent techniques due to the brief time given].
