By KAZUHITO SUWA/ Staff Writer
July 30, 2024 at 18:18 JST
Manga artist Hirohiko Araki, right, creator of “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure,” unveils his stained glass artwork on July 29 at JR Osaka Station. (Kazuhito Suwa)
OSAKA—A stained glass artwork by the creator of “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” was unveiled at JR Osaka Station on July 29, intended to serve as a new landmark and meeting point.
“I hope my work will offer people comfort, hope and happiness as they pass by it,” Hirohiko Araki said at the unveiling ceremony held near the west gate of the station.
“I wish good fortune for people meeting here,” he said.
Araki is known for his bestselling manga series “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.”
Two meters in diameter, the circular stained glass artwork is embedded in a dark spherical frame.
Titled “The Fountain Boy,” the piece is inspired by an iconic statue of a boy that once adorned a fountain at the station. The fountain was a beloved feature of the facility until it was removed during renovations in 2004.
The stained glass work depicts a boy being splashed with water, alongside characters from the JoJo series.
The artwork was commissioned by West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) to celebrate the July 31 opening of Inogate Osaka, its new business and commercial complex, which is located next to the station’s west gate.
The fountain featuring the boy’s sculpture debuted in 1901 and served as a popular meeting spot for more than a century.
While the original statue is now stored at the Kyoto Railway Museum, it is not currently on public display.
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