Myth of Tomorrow (Asu no Shinwa)
Introduction
30 meters in length and 5.5 meters tall, the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ is a huge mural that was created by the Japanese artist, Taro Okamoto, between 1968 and 1969 for installation in the lobby of a hotel under construction in Mexico City.
However, the company that commissioned the work fell into financial difficulties and the hotel was taken over by another company before its completion. The mural was removed from the building and passed through the hands of various corporations around Mexico, until knowledge of its whereabouts was lost. However, in 2003 ‘The Myth of Tomorrow’ was miraculously discovered by Toshiko Okamoto, stored in a builder materials yard in the suburbs of Mexico City where it was in a terrible state of disrepair.
The mural depicts the tragic moment when an atomic bomb explodes. However, this work is not merely a picture of the victims, rather it contains a powerful message from Taro Okamoto, showing that people are capable of proudly overcoming even the cruelest of tragedies to give birth to a ‘myth of tomorrow.’
Created concurrently with the 1970 Osaka Expo’s ‘Tower of the Sun,’ these two works are said to form a ‘pair.’ It stands as one of Taro Okamoto's greatest masterpieces and is indispensable in tracing the course of his art. Unfortunately, however, the work had been stored in poor conditions for many years and was badly damaged. In order to rectify this, the Taro Okamoto Memorial Foundation for the Promotion of Contemporary Art launched the ‘Myth of Tomorrow Restoration Project’ with the aim of transporting the work to Japan, restoring it and displaying it to the public.
The work was first shipped to Ehime Prefecture in 2005 where work on the restoration began. The restoration was finally completed in June 2006, 37 years after the work’s original completion and 3 years after its rediscovery ‘The Myth of Tomorrow’ once again regained its true beauty. It first went on public display in the Shiodome district of Tokyo in July 2006 where it attracted a total of 2 million visitors over the course of 50 days.
In March 2008, the decision was made for it to be permanently installed in Shibuya, but prior to that it was then put on special display at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, from April 27, 2007 to June 29, 2008. On November 17, 2008, it was finally unveiled at its present site in the corridor connecting JR Shibuya Station and Shibuya Mark City.
After Repair
Why Shibuya?
Shibuya was chosen to house the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ because it is a district where old and new coexist. As a terminal station for the Tokyo Metro’s Ginza, Hanzomon, and Fukutoshin lines, the Tokyu Toyoko and Denentoshi lines, and the Keio Inokashira line, the area acts as a transportation hub, moving of people, goods, and information, connecting town to town and people to people. It is a place that presents a variety of faces: combining tradition and sub-culture, digital and analog, and furthermore, it is close to the Minami Aoyama district where Taro Okamoto lived and worked. It is a place that transcends time and space, a place where people’s thoughts are handed down from generation to generation. Only in Shibuya is it possible for the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ to receive this energy of the people, amplifying it and returning as a form of power for the future. We are confident that by permanently installing the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ in this busy public space, it will coalesce with the energy of the newly reborn Shibuya, further strengthening its power and as a result, make the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ one of the greatest cultural symbols, not only of Tokyo of Japan as well.
NPO Activities
Taro Okamoto’s huge mural, ‘Myth of Tomorrow,’ is a treasure that belongs to all the people of the whole world. Toshiko Okamoto described the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ as being ‘Taro Okamoto's greatest masterpiece,’ as it depicts humankind proudly overcoming the tragic moment in which an atomic bomb explodes. The main objective of our organization is to carry out activities aimed towards the preservation of the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations, spreading an understanding of human dignity, the importance of peace, and the splendor of art and culture. Located in Shibuya, the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ is close to Route 246, a road that links the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum (Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo), where Taro Okamoto lived and worked; the statue, ‘Tree of Children’ (Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which he donated to future generations of children; the monument ‘Pride,’ that is dedicated to his mother, the children’s author Kanoko Okamoto (Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa) and finally the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, Kawasaki (Tama-ku, Kawasaki City), leading us to refer to it as Taro’s Road. We will continue to carry out various activities connected with the ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ aimed at all the people who live, work and study in the areas surrounding this road.
Profile of Taro Okamoto
Taro Okamoto
| Born | 1911 – Died 1996 Born in Takatsu Village, Tachibana-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture (present-day Futago, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City). |
|---|---|
| 1929 | Aged 18. Moves to Paris, France, where he creates numerous works. |
| 1940 | Aged 29. Returns to Japan due to the war (World War II) |
| 1968 | Aged 57. Begins work on ‘Myth of Tomorrow’ in Mexico (completed the following year, 1969) |
| 1970 | Aged 59. Completes ‘Tower of the Sun,’ ‘Mother's Tower,’ and ‘Tower of Youth’ for the Japan World Exposition, 1970. |
Even after the age of 80 he continued to produce numerous works until his death at the age of 84.
- Most famous large-scale works:
- Tower of the Sun (70 meters tall), Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Osaka, Japan
- Myth of Tomorrow (5.5 meters tall x 30 meters wide)
Thank you for visiting our website.