Ogasawara Bonin Island Eco Expo 1998

Tadanori Yokoo created this artwork for the Ogasawara Bonin Islands Eco Expo, and it is brimming with symbols and iconography of Japanese cultural heritage. The turbulent waves immediately call to mind Hokusai's "Great Wave," a powerful emblem of nature's force. Yet, this motif is not unique to Japan; the visual language of water, the serpent that it resembles, has appeared across cultures, embodying the sublime and the chaotic. The presence of the rising sun, or *hinomaru,* resonates with Japan's national identity, a symbol of enlightenment and new beginnings. This very same sun can be found in ancient Egyptian art as the all-seeing eye of Ra. The Japanese people's collective memory and cultural identity are deeply entwined with these primordial images. Such images are not static; they carry the weight of history, adapting and evolving as they resurface. The way these symbols evoke a sense of national pride while also pointing to universal human experiences is a testament to their enduring power.