About
As you walk through the underground concourse of Tokyo Station’s Keiyo Line, your eyes are suddenly drawn to a magnificent plaster relief. This work was created in 1947, shortly after the war, to decorate the waiting room of the R.T.O (Railway Transportation Office), the railway headquarters of the occupying forces. At the time, architectural engineers from the Ministry of Transport wondered, “Couldn’t we create a design that would astonish the occupying forces?” and decided to express Japan’s famous sites, historic landmarks, and landscapes in plaster relief. (ja.monumen.to)
The person responsible for the design and overall supervision of this grand project was Junpei Nakamura, who studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in France and became the first Japanese to obtain the French government-certified architect qualification (D.P.L.G). Under his direction, up-and-coming sculptors of the time—Shin Hongo, Issaku Tabata, Kakuzo Tatehata, Kenjiro Shirai, Kanji Kitachi, and Shiro Nakano—participated in the creation. (at-art.jp)
The relief depicts Japan’s famous sites, historic landmarks such as the Tokaido and national parks, and a map of Japan in plaster, and was installed on three walls of the R.T.O waiting room. Later, due to the preservation and restoration work on the Marunouchi station building at Tokyo Station, it was relocated to the Keiyo Line underground station in 2012. (ja.monumen.to)
This relief, in the chaotic period after the war, moved the hearts of many as a symbol that made people rediscover the beauty and culture of Japan. Even today, it continues to convey the beauty of Japanese landscapes and the weight of history to those who visit Tokyo Station.