Showing posts with label Hayao Miyazaki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hayao Miyazaki. Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2012

Whimsical Art in Shiodome

Outside the Nippon Television Tower in Shiodome on the pedestrian walkway about 15-ft above street level are several unusual works of art.

One is a set of multicolored sculptures of the human form. The colors and poses give these pieces a fun and whimsical feeling. Too bad, I couldn't find a plaque with the artist's name(s) anywhere.




The other piece is much larger and reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, especially the film Howl's Moving Castle.  A little research when I returned home confirmed my instincts.... The clock is know as the Nittere-Ohdokei (or NTV Grand Clock). According to several websites, this huge mechanical clock was designed by Miyazaki Hayao and sculpted by Shachimaru Kunio. It weighs about 28 tons and took 5 years to design and build. The best part for kids of all ages is that it can perform 32 mechanical tricks!