Roppongi City Dressing 59 Athlete Sculptures Elevating the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Mitsui Fudosan is holding "Roppongi City Dressing for TOKYO 2020" at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi, which it operates, from August 4 to 21, featuring large-scale decorative installations.

As a "Gold Urban Development Partner" for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the company previously implemented City Dressing in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, a location with ties to the company, in October 2015. This event follows that initiative, aiming to share the excitement of the Rio Games and support the Japanese national team.

Past Article: Olympic and Paralympic Highlights Appear in Nihonbashi[October 14, 2015]

In the plaza area, 3D athlete sculptures (figures) recreating sports featured at the Rio Games are on display. The sculptures range in size from approximately 4 meters for the largest to about 5 centimeters for the smallest. A total of 59 sculptures representing 23 sports and disciplines are placed throughout the area.

The unexpected locations and methods of display will make you smile.

Additionally, a program is running (until the 11th) where visitors' cheering poses are turned into 3D figures and displayed as Cheering Sculptures. After the event period ends, these will be presented to the individuals themselves.

An opening ceremony was held on the first day, the 4th. Yasuhiro Nakamura, General Manager of the Tokyo Midtown Business Division at the company, stated, "Midtown is a facility that exhibits many public artworks based on the concept of 'art and design,' making this project a perfect fit. We hope people will enjoy cheering on the athletes. We also want to continue utilizing sports as an important element in our urban development."

As a guest, Sydney Olympics men's judo silver medalist Shinichi Shinohara made a surprise appearance. Shinohara drew laughter by remarking, "When I heard 'dressing,' I thought it was a salad event." Together with General Manager Nakamura, he unveiled the final sculpture, which had been covered by a veil.

What appeared was a massive judo sculpture capturing the instant of a technique being executed. Shinohara remarked, "Because it's 3D, you can really understand the subtle movements. It stirs the athlete's spirit; it made me want to practice at the dojo again for the first time in ages." When the MC prompted, "For the Tokyo Games?", he quipped, "I might compete in surfing," sparking cheers from the audience.

Shinohara introduced 100 small, cheering sculptures modeled after himself in various poses. Some wore judo uniforms, prompting him to joke, "I want to cheer as if I were the athlete myself. Everyone, please don't shoot them with BB pellets just because they're small!"

He named judo athletes Shohei Ohno and Naohisa Takato, along with Paralympian Kento Masaki, as ones to watch at the Rio Games. "I think judo will be Japan's first gold medal at the Games. I hope they deliver results and build momentum for 2020," he said.

Mitsui Fudosan News Site:
Mitsui Fudosan Presents Roppongi City Dressing for TOKYO 2020[2016.07.14]