Shibuya Takes Down Astro Boy by Invader - Another Piece of Art Killed by Bureaucracy
So ahead yet so behind.
These words might be the perfect description of Japan. Contrary to all the interesting subcultures & aspects of Japan that are lightyears ahead, there are many fields where the land of the rising sun is lightyears behind. LGBTQ rights, foreigner rights, labor rights, there is a large list of topics that need to see improvement, which is why those of you eligible need to go vote on 7/10 at the upcoming election in Japan.
One area that Japan excels in is art. From traditional artists to contemporary artists, the country has been closely tied with art for centuries. But on the other hand, the government's appreciation and understanding of street art is very low. While graffiti and public street art technically aren't legal in most countries, Japan has made many questionable decisions. The most recent is the iconic pixelated Astro Boy by French artists Invader in the heart of Shibuya being taken down.
Street art is rare to find in Tokyo, due to the Japanese government being so strict in cracking down on it. Astro Boy by Invader was one of the rare cases of artwork being untouched since it made its appearance in 2014. Why take down such an iconic piece of art that has been a Shibuya icon 10 years? The Shibuya "Environment Maintenance Sector" stayed silent when asked the reasoning behind the sudden removal.
To add to the controversy, back in 2019, a small drawing that was rumored to be by Banksy [@banksy] appeared on a wall in Futō in Tokyo. This work was instantly preserved, and shown publically at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. While Banksy is very important to the culture, why preserve just them? Why take down other art? Does Japan truly value art, or purely fame & money? Judging from images, Astro Boy clearly wasn't preserved.
There are many questions to be asked, and many creatives like Kan Takagi and Hiroyuki, felt the same way, and voiced there opinions to the public. While Astro Boy is no longer, some other Invader works still exist scattered through Tokyo.
