ATAMI, Shizuoka Prefecture--A huge wall relief created by renowned manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo representing the Tohoku region's recovery from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was unveiled here Feb. 3.
ATAMI, Shizuoka Prefecture--A huge wall relief created by renowned manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo representing the Tohoku region's recovery from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake was unveiled here Feb. 3.
The work, which measures 8.7 by 2.8 meters, will go on display on the first floor of the terminal building at Sendai Airport on March 12. The airport was severely damaged by the tsunami generated by the magnitude-9.0 quake.
Otomo, the creator of the sci-fi "Akira" manga and anime franchise, created the mural to represent northeastern Japan's recovery from the disaster and to spark the interest of children.
“I hope the relief will help children who do not know about the disaster become interested in it,” said Otomo, who is from Tome, also in Miyagi Prefecture. “It will hopefully give an opportunity for them to talk about the disaster and the area’s recovery with their parents.”
Manufactured at a workshop in Atami, the mural is made up of 12 tons of clay. It features a boy riding a robot goldfish in the ocean accompanied by Fujin, the god of wind, and Raijin, the god of thunder.
Otomo said the illustration dynamically captures the region's will to overcome the natural disaster.