Shinkuju Underground cardboard paintings

In the 90's there was a huge community, "an independent nation even", of people who lived on the streets of the Shinjuku Underground station. Hundreds of homes had taken over the west exit which turned the station into a enormous mural of street art. By the end of the 90's every cardboard home had been painted.

"On each of these houses were paintings. Mysterious and magical, they threw vivid colors of resistance out into space, a kaleidoscope of derisive laughter against the state."

I feel like people might have chosen to ignore the homes and the people who lived in them. And by avoiding the problem all together it meant they wont need to help. If the painter's felt the same way then maybe their intent was to create something that would catch people's attention. But once they found out what it really was, they'd see what they were trying to pretend wasn't there and be drowned by all their guilt and apathy.

The group of painters were lead by Take Junichiro. He was arrested during the process and put in jail for 22 days. The project still continued though but eventually came to an end when the Underground had been destroyed in a huge fire.After the fire the city rebuilt the station and made it inaccessable to any homeless person who wished to live there.


"We didn’t photograph the works ourselves. We felt that the moment of life didn’t leave room for recording."

"This wasn’t art that bowed to the system, nor did it have the weakness of finding authenticity only in its marginalization. This is why the work that sustained the cardboard art is so important and valuable."