Tokyo: Large pumpkin sculpture gets tossed by Japan sea storm

Tokyo, Japan

After Tokyo Olympics, Japan is once again in the headlines but this time it is for losing one of its famous works of modern art to a storm.

A giant black and yellow polka-dotted pumpkin sculpture, created by Yayoi Kusama, has been the pride of the country's 'art of island' of Naoshima in the Seto inland sea.

The installation has been in place since 1994 and has weathered several storms with the help of locals, who usually move the sculpture to safety before any incoming storm. However, this time, for some unknown reason, the locals missed moving it.

This time when a downgraded typhoon hit the area on Monday, the sculpture couldn’t stand its ground against the extreme weather and ended up getting tossed in the sea.

Also read | Australia: Teen to face 5 years in jail for forcing quokka to vape

The stellar creation was loosened from its metal fastenings due to the high tides and was then repeatedly slammed into the pier before getting swept into the water. The authorities of Benesse Art Site, who own the piece, looked at the sight helplessly.

Kusama's Pumpkin now has been slammed into three pieces and the staff members of the Benesse Art Site are hoping to be able to repair the sculpture and reinstall it in its original spot.

"Some smaller pieces were lost in the sea but we have three large main sections that are being stored at the art site while we work with Kusama’s studio to decide what to do next," a company spokesperson said.

The artist is now in her early 90s and is residing in a mental health institution in Tokyo since the 1970s. The authorities might have to take her inputs to rebuild her creation.