ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Yoshihisa Suzuki, President & COO; hereinafter "ITOCHU") announces today that it presented Forest of Dynamism, a large stained-glass public artwork to Gaiemmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line for installation inside the station as part of its renovation. The artwork was put on public display on October 16.

Forest of Dynamism is a brightly colored artwork full of athletic dynamism supervised by contemporary artist RYOHEI YAMASHITA, who created the original artwork. It evokes the emotion of a thrilling race or hotly contested contest as a new symbol at the entrance to the sports forest, Meiji Jingu Gaien. The stained-glass artwork depicts athletes giving their all, with a sprinter running at top speed through the Gaien’s Ginkgo Avenue, a rugby player sprinting towards the try line, and a wheelchair athlete racing hard. The artwork represents the idea that Meiji Jingu Gaien will become a Forest of Dynamism (literally a “sacred forest of vibrant motion”) through the enjoyment found by the people who gather there from all over the world in search of the emotions experienced through sport.

Title: Forest of Dynamism
Original artwork and supervision: Contemporary artist RYOHEI YAMASHITA
Place of installation: Adjacent to Exit 4a of Gaiemmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
Size and Specifications: 2.0m (H) × 5.0m (W), stained-glass artwork with built-in LED lights
Sponsors: ITOCHU Corporation and Metro Cultural Foundation

ITOCHU moved its Tokyo head office to Kita-Aoyama in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, adjacent to Gaiemmae Station, in 1980, and has contributed to development of the local area through close ties with the local community. In October 2012, ITOCHU opened ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in Itochu Garden next to ITOCHU's Tokyo Headquarters as a base for its community contribution activities aimed at contributing to growth of future generations, making local contributions through art, and contributing to art and cultural promotion, both in Japan and abroad. ITOCHU has used ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE to showcase artwork that reflects fresh perceptions and presented exhibitions that serve as a bridge for international exchange.
Tokyo Metro is promoting the installation of public artworks to coincide with the construction of new stations or the renovation of existing stations, with the aim of creating culturally rich and rewarding spaces. Public artworks have been installed in the five stations (Kyobashi Station, Ginza Station, Toranomon Station, Aoyama-itchōme Station and Gaiemmae Station) on the Ginza Line which are being renovated.

Contemporary artist RYOHEI YAMASHITA
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1973
He creates artwork under the theme of “YAKUDO,” which means vibrant motion. His artworks include a samurai series and sprinter series. In the commercial art field, he creates fitness magazine covers and other visuals for global sports brands and has also been involved in live painting events at music festivals and the official visuals for a marathon with 30,000 participants. In 2010, he established his own art brand and began releasing and selling artworks. He won the sponsor prize at art fair featuring artists from all over Asia held in Osaka in 2015 and is currently carving out a career as a contemporary artist in the entertainment industry.