Depiction：
The kaiju, composed of countless fragments of garbage and debris, represents the remnants of once-cherished memories and, at the same time, a collective manifestation of tsukumogami within today’s mass-consumption society.
This being, imbued with both “cuteness” and “unsettling menace,” is a mirror of human society itself—an amalgamation of Japan’s unique character culture, yokai, kaiju, and divine imagery.
In this series, I depicted the moment when such a kaiju appeared suddenly in two distinct cities—Tokyo and Osaka—at times quietly, at times with a thunderous roar. The contrast between the two reflects the composition of A-un as seen in Japan’s guardian statues, symbolizing the beginning and the end of all things, from the open “A” to the closed “Un.” A-un also embodies the role of a protective deity warding off misfortune.
Into these kaiju I have placed a prayer-like wish—that they may strive to protect “something essential” in our present age.
This particular work portrays the sudden appearance of a kaiju in the city of Osaka. With its mouth wide open and its body glowing in an eerie bluish-white light before the countless people gathered for the Expo, the creature evokes a foreboding sense of something ominous yet to come.
