Youkoso Sappro The Official Website of Sapporo City Tourism
Select Language
  • 日本語
  • English
  • 한국어
  • 简体中文
  • 繁體中文
  • ภาษาไทย
  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • View My List
  • Registration・Log in
My List
HOME
  • The Four Seasons
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • autumn
    • Winter
  • Attractions
    • Map Search
    • Eat
    • Shops
    • Nature
    • History & Culture
    • Art
    • Sports
    • Experience
  • Touring Plans
    • Feature
    • One-Day Bus Tours
  • Basic Information
    • Brief Introduction to Sapporo
    • Access
    • Sapporo Sightseeing Map
    • Currency and Money Exchange
    • Tourist Information Centers
    • Wi-Fi service
    • Emergency Inquiries
    • Useful Information
    • Promo Video
    • Sapporo accommodation facilities
  • Event Calendar
  • Hotel Reservation
Close
Open
HOMEVisiting SapporoSpecial feature articles that highlight various aspects of SapporoHope in illuminations  Sapporo-born sculptor, Takamichi Ito

Hope in illuminations
Sapporo-born sculptor, Takamichi Ito

January 15, 2014

The Sapporo White Illuminations, which light up Sapporo in early winter, began in December 1981 with just a single symbol objet in Odori Park 2-chome Plaza. We talked with Takamichi Ito, the sculptor who planned and designed Japan’s first ever illuminations, about his relationship with Sapporo.

Add to My ListRemove from My List
Find a Hotel
  • Tweet
Most-read articles
  1. Take the Moiwayama Ropeway to Mt. Moiwa to experience one of Japan’s three best night views and stunning views of Sapporo

  2. Access

  3. Sapporo day-trip bus tours

  4. Spring

  5. Summer


The sculptor who gives form to the swaying of the wind

Ito's works are referred to as "moving sculptures". Bending mirrored stainless-steel pipes and using motorization, he has created many works which draw gentle curves. His starting point as a sculptor was the display design for the show windows of the Shiseido Kaikan in Tokyo, which he worked on from his early twenties. He says he has created around 100 works in ten years.

"When I decorated the show window with a mobile that danced in the wind, many people stopped to look. That was in the early 1960s, a time when they didn't have interesting things everywhere like they do now; people gathered in front of the window, both adults and children, genuinely enjoying the movements of the mobile. After that, I was invited to try and create works in the art world too, and after participating in an exhibition of outdoor sculptures and winning a prize, I became active not only in design but also in the pure art world.

Japan's first illumination was an object reflecting the image of "hope"

Ito was born in Sapporo and lived there until he graduated from high school. His childhood days were just after the war and he says that, in an age of deprivation, "light" was a symbol of hope. In 1981, when Sapporo city was organizing the Sapporo White Illuminations, they commissioned Ito, who was working as the director of a laboratory at a lighting design company, to work on the design.

"They called on me to work on Japan's first illumination. I felt the pressure to create something the likes of which had never been seen before, but at that time, December in Sapporo was pitch black and the gloomiest time of the year, so with the desire to brightly light up the Christmas season, I created an object based on the idea of a "tree of light", using Hokkaido conifers as a motif. Even now, I can remember how excited everyone got the moment the illumination was switched on. Maybe the whole of Japan wished for objects of light in winter, when the days are short, because after that event in Sapporo, it was spread to many other areas. Even now, when illuminations are lit up they make the national news. It continues to be off my hands, but I am very proud of that pioneering effort.

The climate and natural features of Sapporo which shaped the sensibility of Takamichi Ito

"In my childhood, I felt that light itself was a beautiful thing. Much of my time during my childhood was devoted to dramatic stage design, and I would create lighting systems and direct the lighting, day in, day out. In Sapporo, when the snow piles up, the ground at once becomes bright and it feels as if the heavens and the earth are reversed. In addition, I believe that it was watching Mount Moiwa as it changes colors with the passing of the seasons that nurtured my sensibilities today. I think that the origins of my creation are in the Northern provinces. Just like the illuminations, it is my hope that, in future too, something will spring forth that overflows with the originality of Sapporo."

Ito's works are on display at places such as Sapporo Art Park, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Science Center, Chieria, Sapporo Medical University, the Toho Mutual Life Insurance Building Clock and in front of the post office on the north side of the Grand Hotel. Even today, they catch the light of the city of Sapporo, marking out the time as they move, becoming part of the landscape of our day-to-day lives. If you go around Sapporo city, visiting Ito's works, you may well encounter a new Sapporo.

Takamichi Ito

Sculptor

1939 Born in Sapporo. 1962 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts; established "Atelier MOV" the same year. 1970 In charge of the design of numerous pavilions, such as the Japan World Exposition Theme Hall and Japan Hall in Osaka. Produced large-scale lighting sculptures for hotels, public facilities and parks. 1980 In charge of design of the tree for the Sapporo White Illumination. As well as within Hokkaido, he installed numerous public sculptures domestically and overseas. 1993 Appointed as professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, engaged in design education. Served as vice president, etc. Currently, he carries out his creative activities at his ateliers in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and Omagari, Kitahiroshima. He has also established a few studios in Shanghai.

More Articles

German Christmas Market...

A Month-Long Display of German-Style Christmas Lights

arrow

Sapporo White Illumination

Making Sapporo’s Winter Nights Sparkle Breathtaking Co...

arrow

Sapporo Art Park

Located in a 40-hectare forest, Sapporo Art Park is a ...

arrow

Interview with sculptor...

Works of art at Sapporo Station loved by many people, ...

arrow

Roundup of things you m...

Here are some recommendations for winter sightseeing i...

arrow

Hokkaido Museum of Mode...

Located next to the Hokkaido Governor’s Official Resid...

arrow

  • Sapporo Central Wholesale Market Curb Market
  • Welcome to Sapporo
  • The Four Seasons
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • autumn
    • Winter
  • Attractions
    • Map Search
    • Eat
    • Shops
    • Nature
    • History & Culture
    • Art
    • Sports
    • Experience
  • Touring Plans
    • Feature
    • One-Day Bus Tours
  • Basic Information
    • Brief Introduction to Sapporo
    • Access
    • Sapporo Sightseeing Map
    • Currency and Money Exchange
    • Tourist Information Centers
    • Wi-Fi service
    • Emergency Inquiries
    • Useful Information
    • Promo Video
    • Sapporo accommodation facilities
    • Event Calendar
    • Hotel Reservation
    • Latest News
    • My List
    • Photo Library
  • Sapporo City Call Center | 011-222-4894, 8:00 ~ 21:00 Open all year The Sapporo City Call Center cannot book hotel or other overnight
    accommodations on your behalf.Hotel Reservation
  • Sapporo Tourist Association | Inquiries
    • Welcome to Sapporo Blog
    • Sapporo City Hall
    • Sapporo City Tourism
    • Convention Bureau
    • Links, Copyright, Disclaimer
    • Handling of Personal Information

Unauthorized use of text and images from this website is prohibited. For those who wish to use the photos, please feel free to make use of the Sightseeing Photo Library.

  • Personal Computer
  • Mobile
Register for Sapporo Tourism E-mail Magazine
OPEN
My List

“My List” will assist you plan your trip. The list you create using your computer at home can later be viewed on your smartphone while you are traveling.
Enjoy your trip around Sapporo!
For more information, click here

  • Sign in with Facebook
  • Sign in with Twitter
  • Sign in with Google+