A man in a coat stood still under the Myth of Tomorrow displayed in Shibuya station

Man stopping under big wall painting by Taro Okamoto — Mythos of tomorrow by Taro Okamoto

A large painting hangs on the wall in the middle of the passage connecting Shibuya Station on the Inokashira line and JR line. It is a rather large painting, 550 cm high and 3,000 cm wide. It is so large that it is hard not to notice it as you walk down the passageway. This work is "Myth of Tomorrow" by Taro Okamoto.

It has been more than 20 years since his death, so some young people may not be familiar with Okamoto Taro, a Japanese artist who appeared in commercials and won the Shintōgo Ryūgo Taishō (新語・流行語大賞) award for his phrase, "Art is an explosion." Perhaps it would be easier to say that he is the creator of the "Tower of the Sun" in Suita City, Osaka.

The "Myth of Tomorrow," displayed in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the largest of Okamoto Taro's works and is considered one of his masterpieces. The motif of the painting is the atomic bombing of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, with what looks like red flames splashing across the canvas. It is wonderful that such a painting is displayed in a public place. Unfortunately, however, although there are many people walking along the aisles, few people stop to look at the paintings. People may look out from the other side of the passage, where the Shibuya scramble crossing can be seen through the glass, but few people look at the "Myth of Tomorrow".

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