Tokyo’s Pedestrian Crossings Brightened by Umbrellas

Diagonal pedestrian crossings are an iconic symbol of Japan but are not always cited as a cultural specificity, despite the fact that they are indeed a Japanese invention. In 2009, on the occasion of its inauguration, the new Oxford Circus crossing in London was described as a ‘Japanese-style’ crossing. Shibuya, in Tokyo, is home to the most used crossing in the world, traversed by over 2 million people every day. In his series Rain (2014-2015), Japanese photographer Yoshinori Mizutani, born in 1987, captures his city with a spotlight on these meeting points in the rain.

Intersecting viewpoints

In his images, the photographer presents pedestrian crossings from an elevated viewpoint, creating a striking, highly graphic, visual aesthetic. Yoshinori Mizutani eliminates the presence of a gloomy grey sky and replaces it with a host of umbrellas with various motifs. In one image, only the white stripes of the pedestrian crossing reflect the light from the city, with the contrast accentuated by the humidity.

‘I always thought of rain as something gloomy and unpleasant. One day, however, I stepped out into the city and realised how rain can alter our everyday landscape. Even the most mundane details such as wet ground and rain drops can reveal a whole new world to us if we observe them from a slightly different angle’, Yoshinori Mizutani explained in 2016 when the series was exhibited at the Webber Gallery in London. The artist viewed this series as an attempt ‘to present a new perspective and interpretation towards our often overlooked daily phenomenon.’

Prior to this, the artist made himself known with the series Tokyo Parrots (2013), presenting the wild, neon-coloured parakeets found in the city. This led to a collaboration with the brand Issey Miyake in 2016 and the series was featured at the Bienne Festival of Photography in Switzerland.

Rain (2014-2015), a series of photographs by Yoshinori Mizutani, can be viewed on his website.