Updated: 19 April 2023
A large-scale trompe-l'œil artwork — four metres wide and six metres tall — has appeared on the wall of a building in Ginza, Tokyo. Its name: the Ginza Daifuku Jizo.
The Ginza Daifuku Jizo combines an enormous smartphone with the image of a jizo (a traditional Buddhist guardian statue). When you photograph or film it, the figure appears to leap off the surface. Below the statue, an XPAND Code is displayed; scanning it reveals information about Ginza in Japanese, English, and Chinese, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Why "Daifuku Jizo"? The statue's face resembles a daifuku — a soft, round Japanese sweet — and the word daifuku itself has an auspicious ring to it. The Ginza Daifuku Jizo was created with three goals in mind: to promote XPAND Code, to serve as a permanent proof-of-concept site for XPAND Code use cases, and to add a new landmark to Ginza that gives people one more reason to stroll through the area.
The installation period runs from 1 April to 31 July, though we are aiming for a long-term, permanent presence depending on the response. We hope many people will come and enjoy it.
We will keep devising new ideas to delight our visitors, so please look forward to what's next! When you visit the Ginza Daifuku Jizo, do take some photos and videos — and let us know your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you!
※ This project was selected for a Small Business Continuity Grant and made possible through that support.
[Update] The Ginza Daifuku Jizo is now searchable on Google Maps. Please give it a try.