Toronto Street Art Graffiti with Japanese Inspired Mural Collaboration by collection of artists to create presence for their community within the city

Japanese Inspired Mural Collaboration

I’ve always wondered what this mural was about. I’ve passed it so many times and taken dozens of pictures of it (this photo is from July 2016). I finally decided to do a little research.. I figured if I am going to post it.. might as well learn a little about it.

Found an article about it from 2014 that explains what this mural is about. The artwork is on the side of Sanko Trading co. “since 1968, is one of the oldest Japanese-Canadian-owned businesses in the city.”

Five artists Ken Galloway, Timothy Fukakusa, Mitsuo Kimura @mitsuo.kimura, Takashi Iwasaki @takashi.iwasaki.art, Darcy Obokata, and Shogo Okada “used the mural project as an opportunity to provide a physical presence for the community in a city without a Japantown”.

Never realized before reading that.. but Toronto doesn’t have a Japantown – there so many other areas like Little Portugal, Little Italy, Koreatown and two Chinatowns.. but no Japantown.

From the article on @torontoist

“So that’s why we find anime-inspired images alongside techniques drawn from traditional painting—why there are robots and girls and flowers and mountains, executed in different styles. The mural doesn’t communicate a clear and consistent notion of what the Japanese-Canadian community is or should be, but instead provides a space in which questions of identity, belonging, and self-definition can be explored—colourfully, creatively, and often irreverently”

And now I know. ????????..

It’s a really cool mural and it extends further to the right of this. I think what I like about it …is its randomness… but after reading about it.. it all comes together very nicely.

Toronto Street Art Graffitti Found at this Location:

They even made a video about the making of this mural – its very interesting