A girl posed for a photo in the same pose in front of a thinker at the National Museum of Western Art

Parent and child taking a picture in front of the thinker — People taking pictures in front of the thinker

Although similarly included in the artist category, the profession of sculptor is overshadowed by that of painter. When asked to name famous painters, the names of relatively recent painters such as Van Gogh and Picasso come to mind, as do the names of Leonardo da Vinci and Pieter Bruegel, both of whom are hundreds of years old. On the other hand, when asked to name a famous sculptor, it is difficult to name one. Michelangelo created the famous statue of David, but his image is more that of a painter than a sculptor, and "Milo" and "Samothrace" of Venus de Milo and Nike of Samothrace are the names of the places where they were discovered, not of their creators. The only sculptor with a connection to Japan whose name immediately comes to mind is Isamu Noguchi.

Auguste Rodin, however, is the most well-known sculptor in Japan. "The Thinker" at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno is very popular with visitors, who are constantly standing in front of the statue and taking pictures. The popularity of "The Thinker" in Japan is not a new phenomenon; in the past, it has been used as a motif in NHK educational TV junction videos and has appeared in TV commercials. Perhaps the gesture of thinking about something is perfect for modern people who are required to think every day. Indeed, the image of a person with its hand resting on its chin in contemplation is similar to that of a housewife thinking about her menu at the supermarket.

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