When Taro Okamoto first came up with the concept of the Tower of the Sun for the Japan World Exposition, Osaka, 1970, his plans already included the ‘Tree of Life’ in the interior. Forty-one meters in height, the tree bore thirty-three ‘fruit’ consisting of living creatures, ranging from unicellular microorganisms up to Paleolithic humans. Visitors rode four successive escalators as they traveled towards the top of the tree, allowing them a view of  the process of evolution, and were amazed by this extraordinary experience.

“The Tree of Life is the bloodstream of the Tower of the Sun.” This is how Taro Okamoto described it.  Symbolizing the dignity and energy of life, the Tree of Life, was conceived as being an integral part of the living being that was the Tower of the Sun and represented its internal organs.

In 2018, after having been abandoned for half a century, the interior of the tower was finally restored. A majority of the sculptures of living creatures had been lost and it had become a shadow of its former self, but despite this, the Tree of Life was reborn in a new form, impressing and having a huge impact on all who saw it.

This exhibition will focus a spotlight on the Tree of Life that has been revealed once more. We have taken this opportunity to create a new 1:15 scale model that accurately reproduces the Tree of Life as it is now after its rebirth, allowing visitors to grasp a bird’s-eye view of the gigantic Tree of Life in its entirety.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to come and experience the ‘internal organs’ of the Tower of the Sun.

Akiomi Hirano

Director,

Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum of Art

(Supported by : NANKOKUDO)