Sparkling Hope, KEIKYU

The Keikyu Line is directly connected to Haneda Airport, which is the gateway to Japan, and welcomes people from all over the world.

The Keikyu Line is directly connected to Haneda Airport, which is the gateway to Japan, and welcomes people from all over the world.
Imagining the joys and expectations at the beginning of people’s journeys, I depicted Mt. Fuji seen across Sagami Bay and the sun shining brightly during their trips to represent Japanese hospitality as well as the various attractions along the Keikyu Line.

I hope that those who visit Japan experience the many charms of Japan and have an exciting time while travelling.

“Sparkling Hope, KEIKYU” is a new landmark artwork installed at a gateway where international visitors first encounter Japan outside the airport. The original design and artistic supervision were by Koji KINUTANI, a renowned Western-style painter and recipient of the Order of Culture, who has mastered the ancient fresco technique known as affresco. The ceramic relief was crafted by the skilled artisans of CREARE Atami-Yugawara Studio.

Measuring 2 meters high and 7.5 meters wide, the artwork features a radiant sun illuminating the journeys of visitors, along with passenger aircraft flying across the sky, evoking the lively atmosphere of Haneda Airport. It also depicts the many attractions and scenic highlights along the Keikyu Railway line, including Mount Fuji, blooming Kawazu cherry blossoms, Tokyo Bay, the sea around Hayama dotted with yachts, and Kawasaki Daishi, renowned as a place of protection against misfortune. Together, these elements evoke the excitement and anticipation of travel. The work embodies Kinutani’s wish that those visiting this beautiful country of Japan will take home lasting impressions of their experience and be inspired to return.
In shaping the relief, the artisans sought to capture the powerful, lively brushwork and sense of movement found in the original painting. The center of the sun was deliberately given an irregular form rather than a perfect circle, creating a sense of direction and expressing the movement of light and the expansion of energy. Careful consideration was also given to the varying depths of the relief, creating a sense of distance between individual motifs and bringing movement to the landscape as a whole.

The vibrant, dynamic colors of the original painting were recreated using approximately 70 different glazes in combination. The glaze recipes were carefully adjusted while checking the colors of adjacent pieces, and repeated, finely controlled firings were used to achieve the artwork’s distinctive hues. Particular attention was given to producing vivid reds, yellows, and oranges, which are especially challenging to achieve with glazes.
The central airplane’s tail fin features a variation of “Namako-yu,” a traditional Japanese glaze known for its distinctive mottled appearance. The sea and mountains of Hayama incorporate “Oribe-yu,” while Kawasaki Daishi features an adaptation of “Hai-yu,” one of Japan’s earliest glaze types. These techniques showcase the distinctive color expressions made possible by traditional Japanese glazes.