Documentary

Tower of the Sun

太陽の塔

Directed by: Kosai Sekine
2018 / 112 minutes / Unclassified all ages

Taro Okamoto’s philosophy and protest behind the Tower of the Sun: a message for us today

Fondly thought of as the Picasso of Japan, Taro Okamoto worked as a prolific avant-garde artist, philosopher, and writer until his death at 85 years old. Kosai Sekine’s colourfully ambitious debut documentary is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the roots of Okamoto’s iconic work, Tower of the Sun, constructed for the government-organised Expo ’70 in Osaka, themed ‘Progress and Harmony for Mankind’. Conversely, the artist’s 70-metre tall tower was the antithesis to this message and a comment on Okamoto’s political and social concerns for the future of Japan. After almost 50 years since its construction, the interior of the Tower of the Sun was finally reopened in 2018, allowing the public to once again marvel at the exquisite artwork that lies within.

Get to know the artist behind the one-of-a-kind Tower of the Sun in this uniquely beautiful and powerful documentary, which probes into why the tower was preserved, and what message Okamoto was attempting to convey with this radical, cutting-edge work.