Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences

21 Apr 2008 Category: Conscientious Design, Features, Japan

Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences

See a karikakoi, a construction fence, turn into a canvas for gorgeous illumination and illustration with the help of the "Shinjuku Southern Beat Project 2005." Photo by momoko japan

Construction sites are so everywhere, no big deal. Now in Japan, the walls in front of them are often white (sometimes lovingly decorated with flowers) and are called karikakoi. And with constant restructuring and redevelopment going on in Tokyo since decades, these ubiquitous walls are invading the urban landscape as long and giant blanks. However, recently, several interesting projects have started to beautify these surfaces by using them as canvases for artful illustrations and paintings. PingMag picks up a few for you today!

Written by Ayana
Translated by Yuki Sakai

1. Artful Illustrations

A karikakoi surrounding the construction site for a Hiroo apartment development was chosen to draw a landscape of four seasons withplenty of animals. In 2006, illustrator Yukari Miyagi completed her art works on the wall measuring a proper 324 meters in length! Her joyful drawings, with their soft colour shades, seem to blend into the urban landscape perfectly. This karikakoi was the canvas for an enjoyable dreamy space while the construction lasted. Although it was detached afterwards, you can now experience these art works in her photo book Town Dream - Dream Town.

A very long karikakoi to hide the site of an apartment development in Hiroo. Sweet illustrations by Yukari Miyagi are meant to amuse the passers-by.

2. Making The Process Of Construction Transparent

SOUP DESIGN and constructors TAISEI DESIGN worked on a wall entitled “DIARY” around a building construction site in Ginza. There, they separated left-over construction materials and displayed them in glass cases, to make the construction process visible. In addition, info about the type and quantity of the materials used are displayed. Needless to say, the segregated materials will certainly be recycled later on.

A wall around a building construction site in front of PRINTEMPS GINZA displaying the recycling of left-over construction materials. Look closer and you see the scales to show the quantity of each material used. Image courtesy of Tokyo Curry Bancho/Tokyo splendid sight-seeing

In case you forget - a big sized recycling symbol painted on the wall, stands as a reminder. Image courtesy of Tokyo Curry Bancho/Tokyo splendid sight-seeing

More left-over construction materials on display. Nice idea! Image courtesy of Tokyo Curry Bancho/Tokyo splendid sight-seeing

3. Expressing a City’s Identity

Redevelopment has been going on basically everywhere in Tokyo for decades. And though these long construction periods usually give the impression of blank spots in the cityscape, they can also serve to get people thinking about the future of the city. In the following, we are showing you three karikakoi walls in three districts that are used as media to express the city’s identity through its inhabitants by using portraits of people who are involved in working in or for the city.

1) Shinjuku Southern Beat Project

Just around the corner of Shinjuku Station south exit, you can find another giant karikakoi wall measuring around 320 meters in length, in front of the construction site for Route 20. Since its completion is due by 2016, passers-by would get pretty bored to see just a simple white wall until then… Meanwhile, launched in 2005, the Shinjuku Southern Beat Project by STUDIO HAN DESIGN has been using the construction fence in an interactive way: It involves staff of the construction site and the local inhabitants to display graphics, photos and the lighting-up according to a different theme given every year.

From above, the “Shinjuku Southern Beat Project” in 2005. Photo by momoko japan

Portraits of the locals created by the “Shinjuku Southern Beat Project” in 2006. Photo by momoko japan

Different coloured lighting illuminates the pedestrians: “Shinjuku Southern Beat Project” in 2007. Photo by momoko japan

2) Hikifune-ga (Image of Hikifune)

When travelling to Tokyo’s East side, you can find a karikakoi wall entitled Hikifune-ga in front of Hikifune station, Sumida. Launched in 2006, this intervention was the idea of the Urban Renaissance Agency and STUDIO HAN DESIGN who also designed for above mentioned “Shinjuku Southern Beat Project.” The project depicts local life with imagery and texts to remind you of the old quarter’s unique flair. In addition, the lighting in nine colour variations seem to help crime prevention during night time when it’s less crowded. Local residents are happy with it, saying “The landscape has become brighter!”

Karikakoi ”Hikifune-ga” in front of Hikifune station in Sumida ward. Photo by momoko japan

Karikakoi entitled ”Hikifune-ga” in front of Hikifune station in Sumida. Photo by momoko japan

3) Nihonbashi Then and Now – Bridging Edo and the Contemporary

Now in Nihonbashi, Chuo, there have been efforts to restore the historical “Nihonbashi” site - the bridge built during the Edo period. As part of the redevelopment, the installation entitled Nihonbashi then and now – the bridge between Edo and the future is displayed on walls facing four streets, surrounding the demolishing site for the Mitsui annex No. 3 basement. On each of the walls’ surfaces, you can see drawings and photos of the area from during the Edo, Meiji/Taisho and Showa periods, as well as images of a future Nihonbashi as drawn by local elementary students. Walking along these walls takes long enough to learn a bit about the historical neighbourhood and see how kid’s imagine the future site.

From the “Nihonbashi then and now – the bridge between Edo and the future“ project - images of of the historical Nihonbashi neighbourhood with the bridge want to give passers-by an impression of the old days…

From the “Nihonbashi then and now – the bridge between Edo and the future“ project - the old illustrations and photographs from the area seem to be pretty popular.

If you happen to stroll along any interesting looking construction fences, let us know for sure!

31 Comments

  1. Yes, nice, and Klein Dytham?? http://www.klein-dytham.com/project/more/green-green-screen/1

    Posted by: duann on April 21st, 2008 at 7:54 pm

  2. Wow, great artwork on the fences there.
    Too bad there’s no such thing in groningen.
    Great graphics I mean.

    Posted by: Rudianto on April 21st, 2008 at 8:13 pm

  3. I like how those fences make you do a double take. The first one at the beginning of the article with the b/w woman was really cute. Wish we had some of that down here.

    Posted by: d3ndoo on April 21st, 2008 at 10:10 pm

  4. Woah they are reopening Printemps in Ginza?! Nice. The Paris Printemps will be under reno soon as well.

    Posted by: Mariya Marie on April 21st, 2008 at 11:40 pm

  5. [...] Pingmag exposes you to the art that adorns Tokyo’s endless supply of redevelopment construction fences. [...]

    Posted by: doane paper blog » Tokyo Construction Fence Art on April 22nd, 2008 at 4:52 am

  6. Awesome… when a city could just as well open up those spaces to soul-stealing advertisements it’s very uplifting to see something of actual cultural value going in. If only NYC could break itself away from it’s money-purse…

    Posted by: chingwa on April 22nd, 2008 at 5:21 am

  7. I posted a link to this on my blog. I wish L.A. would do this.

    Posted by: MissFruitfly on April 22nd, 2008 at 7:00 am

  8. [...] inspired this sudden need to share? This post at PingMag about the art on construction fences in Tokyo. The Japanese have a refined sense of design. No place is still obscure to create moments of [...]

    Posted by: a moment of urban beauty: Tokyo construction fences « Inaudible Nonsense on April 22nd, 2008 at 7:27 am

  9. [...] a look at our Projects, read the blog, or get in contact. 22 Apr 2008 Hoarding Art Pingmag takes us on a tour of artworks on construction site hoardings around [...]

    Posted by: Super Colossal » Hoarding Art on April 22nd, 2008 at 9:28 am

  10. [...] Construction Fence Ping Mag online magazine published an article on construction fences featuring some works of Studio … [...]

    Posted by: Construction Fence « giacomo butte in tokyo on April 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 am

  11. It’s amazing. I think it’s the inspiration city!

    Posted by: ILL on April 22nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm

  12. This is incredible!

    Posted by: Akai on April 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm

  13. [...] Construction sites are so everywhere, no big deal. Now in Japan, the walls in front of them are often white (sometimes lovingly decorated with flowers) and are called karikakoi. And with constant restructuring and redevelopment going on in Tokyo since decades,http://pingmag.jp/2008/04/21/constructional-fence/” rel=”dc:source” property=&#822… [...]

    Posted by: FuzzLinks.com » Art On Tokyoâ on April 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 am

  14. Tokyo is an amazing city,

    Posted by: Tommy on April 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 am

  15. We’ve done a couple of these projects. Have a look - http://www.skaggsdesign.com/blog/?p=257

    They are fun to do because of the scale both of the graphics, but also the perception of what you see when you walk by one versus looking at if from across the street or when driving by.

    Posted by: Bradley Skaggs on April 23rd, 2008 at 2:15 am

  16. That looks great…unlike America, where thugs spray random ugly garbage all over everything…

    Posted by: Dave on April 23rd, 2008 at 2:20 am

  17. [...] called karikakoi. And with constant restructuring and redevelopment going on in Tokyo since decades,read more | digg story addthis_url = [...]

    Posted by: Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences | Simple Drops on April 23rd, 2008 at 2:42 am

  18. Very beautiful pictures!

    Posted by: Fubiz on April 23rd, 2008 at 7:36 am

  19. You missed a really cool Sporting themed wall at the TBS building constuction in Akasaka.

    Posted by: Jerry on April 23rd, 2008 at 8:31 am

  20. [...] construction fences used to display art. (Via [...]

    Posted by: C-MONSTER.net. » Blog Archive » The Digest. 04.23.08. on April 23rd, 2008 at 11:00 pm

  21. [...] Haven’t seen anything this designed here… (meaning Hamburg) Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences - pingMag [...]

    Posted by: Public design - now this is what I call nice construction fences | TOTAL NONSENSE on April 25th, 2008 at 1:35 am

  22. [...] Means By ‘Humane’ Slaughter? - (Daily Mail UK) Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences - (Ping Mag) 7 Island Wonders of the World: Most Amazing, Mysterious, Remote and More - (Web Urbanist) The Green [...]

    Posted by: Daily Links 28 Apr 2008 on April 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

  23. [...] enough, Im not the only one to appreciate all this: Pingmag currently have a photoessay on the same topic with some more examples from around town (several of which have already appeared [...]

    Posted by: Art on the walls « ilbonito blog 2007 on April 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm

  24. This is a really great idea - I wish they’d do more of this in London.

    What’s very odd is that I did a whole blog post about Hiroshige yesterday and used the image from the the first station ( 1 Nihonbashi )of “The 53 Stations of the Tokaido (Hoeido Edition)” and there it is on the hoarding!!! I recognised it straight away.

    I’m going to post a link to this in my big weekly round-up post on Sunday.

    Posted by: Making A Mark on May 1st, 2008 at 6:02 pm

  25. I consider this a classy form of graffiti and I hope it becomes generalized in other areas than japan

    Posted by: Pokemon Quiz on May 5th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

  26. This is weird, incredible and beautiful, all in one place.

    Posted by: Gunter on May 8th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

  27. [...] the city gets on an identity kick, and the micro-neighborhoods make site-specific commissions, like this one by the Edo-Tokyo museum, which is a national museum that has exhibitions on the building history of [...]

    Posted by: you just have to get used to the heights « the secret ingredient is water on May 12th, 2008 at 3:16 am

  28. [...] are called karikakoi. And with constant restructuring and redevelopment going on in Tokyo since dechttp://pingmag.jp/2008/04/21/constructional-fence/Framed Art Print,Wall Art,Fine Art Deco,Oil Painting,Wall Decor75% off retail price on framed art [...]

    Posted by: wall art on May 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am

  29. [...] Article here Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Banksy - Street Art and Palestine Filed under: Art, Design   |   [...]

    Posted by: Moondoloco on May 31st, 2008 at 10:04 am

  30. dear alls, i need contact something people interested in my performance *view button in my site …installation/performance.
    i need contact one person for invitation in tokio for realice
    this performance in the end of the journe or building in construction.
    the interested about my proyect please contact my in
    gorofilo@hotmail.com. thanks!!animo!

    Posted by: goro goro on August 6th, 2008 at 6:32 am

  31. [...] read more | digg story [...]

    Posted by: Art On Tokyo’s Construction Fences « Decorating for the Artistic Soul on September 13th, 2008 at 1:12 am

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