What does the arrow on this wall represent?

In the event of a natural disaster, these arrows were created to help to direct both foreigners and local residents alike to Aoyama Gakuin University, the evacuation site of the Shibuya area.

These walls are more than just “walls”. They also provide crisis management through the use of graffiti and street art. Graffiti feels so natural in a place like Shibuya, which has a culture of it: the art of using spray paint as a weapon in a “street fight.” In a fight to see who is the best, you would not draw over someone else’s work if you acknowledge it’s better than yours. Shibuya is littered with graffiti, but the drama hidden under the layers of paint has been lost over time.

The artist behind this piece is the “gag manga” artist known as Kotobuki Shiriagari. “It’s nice to walk past a place you have walked by a thousand times, but have it feel like it has become special to you. If other people are happy when seeing that arrow, then I’ll be happy as well.” You can find these arrows scattered around the Shibuya area, and they only continue to grow.

If Japan’s “Banksy” were to be born, you would find him in Shibuya.