<Before a Scrawl Appears, Post a Picture!>
Beneath an elevated railway trestle in the Kabukicho entertainment area of Shinjuku, some 20 colorful art works have been posted, memorializing the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of last March 11. Called the “Great Shinjuku Gird,” their purpose is also to discourage graffiti. The works were created with the cooperation of students at a nearby art academy. Under the combined theme of “Sky and Life,” they reflect the hope and courage of earthquake survivors. The works stand 1.5 meters high by 88 centimeters wide and are evenly spaced at intervals along a 44-meter long corridor. The chief of Shinjuku Police Department was quoted as saying, “It is important not to disregard small violations of the law, like graffiti. So [these pictures] also serve as symbols of a safe and secure neighborhood.”