In a city like Tokyo, with so many attractions, some landmarks may easily slip by unnoticed. But the statue located in Shibuya, in front of the National Children’s Castle (Kodomo no Shiro), will draw your attention whether you’re an art lover or not. It is called Kodomo-no-ki (Children’s Tree) and it was made by a well known sculptor and painter, Taro Okamoto.

The most famous work of Taro Okamoto is the Tower of the Sun, a giant sculpture made for the World Fair from Osaka Expo ‘70, which impresses with the three stylized faces symbolizing the past, the present and the future of human kind. Like the Tower of the Sun, each of the the branches from the Children’s Tree ends with a stylized, expressive, vivid colored face. While taking this photo, for a moment, the Kodomo-no-ki reminded me how it was to look at the world through children’s eyes.
Like Taro Okamoto said, “Art is Magic”:

Children’s Tree (Kodomo-no-ki), National Children’s Castle, Shibuya, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese traditions, Hozuki Ichi