Has Banksy struck in Tokyo?
Train station graffiti bears striking resemblance to one of the street artist’s most famous creations
Japanese officials are trying to verify if a potentially years-old spray-painted image of a rat discovered in Tokyo is the work of British street artist Banksy.
The drawing bears a strong resemblance to Banksy’s trademark rodent, which features in several of his previous works, including a series of stencils in Melbourne called Parachuting Rat.
The Tokyo rat, which is holding an umbrella, was sprayed on a tide gate at Hinode Station on the Yurikamome train line in the centre of the city, the BBC reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officials say they had been aware of the graffiti for a long time, but did not realise they were looking a potential Banksy until December, when local residents contacted them to point out the similarity, according to The Japan Times.
“There are photos on social media that appear to show the same painting which date back several years,” the newspaper says.
Tokyo Metropolitan government official Koji Sugiyama told CNN that the stencil had not been erased by city authorities because it “didn’t stand out”.
Banksy’s work, which often satirises authority figures and current affairs, frequently sells for millions.
Sugiyama said local government officials are attempting to confirm whether the rat image is the work of the mysterious British artist, but add that they “don’t know if there’s an expert in Japan” qualified to give that verdict.
The gate, designed to protect the station from floods during high tides, has now been removed and put in storage to prevent any damage.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike posted photos of herself with the painting on Twitter, writing: “There’s a painting of cute rat in Tokyo which could be Banksy’s work! A gift to Tokyo?”
Last month, Banksy confirmed he was behind a mural in Port Talbot, Wales. That image, showing a child playing in the embers of a skip fire, “seems to comment on the town’s industrial heritage” and appeared on two walls of a garage overnight, the London Evening Standard reports.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published