Hirohiko Araki’s First Public Art Piece “The Fountain Boy” Unveiled

Today on July 29, 2024, Hirohiko ArakiHirohiko ArakiHirohiko Araki, born Toshiyuki Araki, is a Japanese manga artist and the author of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He made his debut in 1980 with his one-shot Poker Under Arms, and began his professional career with the short series Cool Shock B.T., Baoh the Visitor, and Gorgeous Irene. Araki's biggest series,..., the manga artist of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series, unveiled his first public art piece, “THE FOUNTAIN BOY,” on the first floor of the new Inogate Osaka building at JR Osaka Station. West Japan Railway Company (JR West) first announced the project on May 16, 2024, with Oricon News interviewing Araki about his creation.

Inogate Osaka is located directly above the west exit of Osaka Station. In conjunction with its opening on July 31st, JR West launched the Osaka Station West Side Area Art Project, also called “WARP (WEST ART PROJECT).” This project aims to provide a space for everyday art experiences, contributing to the development of Osaka’s culture and business, and fostering innovation. They held a public unveiling ceremony for it today.

Video of Araki Revealing His Art

Hirohiko Araki’s “THE FOUNTAIN BOY” (2024)

The “Fountain Boy” sculpture had been displayed at Osaka Station for 103 years since the era of the second station building. Araki’s work visually connects that Fountain Boy to the future. He depicts the Fountain Boy with JoJo‘s modern art style on stained glass on the front of a large black sphere. The antique glass used, made by Germany’s Lamberts company, is hand-blown glass that has been passed down unchanged since medieval Europe.

The StandsStandA Stand is a physical manifestation of a person's "life energy". It is a power unique to the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. A Stand is an entity psychically generated by its owner, referred to as a Stand user. It generally presents itself as an ethereal figure hovering over or near... displayed on the artwork are from top to bottom and left to right, November RainNovember RainNovember Rain is the Stand of Jodio Joestar, featured in the ninth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, The JOJOLands. It has the ability to summon rain showers that Jodio can selectively make crushingly heavy. November Rain has a humanoid head and broad torso attached to a downward-pointing cone.... from The JOJOLandsThe JOJOLandsThe JOJOLands is the ninth and current part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was announced in the September 2021 issue of Ultra Jump on August 19, 2021, and began serialization in the March 2023 issue on February 17, 2023. In contemporary Hawaii, Jodio Joestar, a 15-year-old boy living in Honolulu,..., Star PlatinumStar PlatinumStar Platinum is the Stand of Jotaro Kujo, primarily featured in the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stardust Crusaders. It also appears in the fourth part, Diamond is Unbreakable, and the sixth part, Stone Ocean. Star Platinum is a close-range Stand with exceptional strength and speed, as... from Stardust CrusadersStardust CrusadersStardust Crusaders is the third part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from March 1989 to April 1992 under the title of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3 Jotaro Kujo: Heritage for the Future, and was collected into seventeen volumes by Jump Comics. The part..., Killer QueenKiller QueenKiller Queen is the Stand of Yoshikage Kira, featured in the fourth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Diamond is Unbreakable. Killer Queen is a muscled humanoid Stand with cat-like features. Its abilities all revolve around bombs, whose blasts are capable of atomizing people. Killer Queen is a visibly... from Diamond is UnbreakableDiamond is UnbreakableDiamond is Unbreakable is the fourth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from May 1992 to December 1995 under the title of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Josuke Higashikata, and was collected into nineteen volumes by Jump Comics. The current Japanese title was..., Dirty Deeds Done Dirt CheapDirty Deeds Done Dirt CheapDirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, frequently shortened to D4C, is the Stand of Funny Valentine, featured in the seventh part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Steel Ball Run. D4C is a humanoid Stand that allows its user to pass into parallel worlds at will and pull people from them... from Steel Ball RunSteel Ball RunSteel Ball Run, alternatively stylized in uppercase English as STEEL BALL RUN, is the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Initially serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from January 19, 2004 to October 18, 2004, the part's publication later moved to Ultra Jump, where it was serialized from March 19, 2005..., Stone FreeStone FreeStone Free is the Stand of Jolyne Cujoh, featured in the sixth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stone Ocean. Stone Free usually manifests as Jolyne's ability to unravel her body into string, but ultimately has a base form of a powerful close-range humanoid Stand. Stone Free is a... from Stone OceanStone OceanStone Ocean is the sixth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from December 7, 1999 to April 8, 2003, and was collected into seventeen volumes by Jump Comics. Stone Ocean is the last part set in the original timeline of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:..., Gold ExperienceGold ExperienceGold Experience is the Stand of Giorno Giovanna, featured in the fifth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Vento Aureo. It is a short-range power-type Stand with the ability to create life from inanimate material. Gold Experience is a humanoid Stand that mirrors the slim physique and average height... from Vento AureoVento AureoVento Aureo, translated into English as Golden Wind, is the fifth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from December 1995 to April 1999 under the title of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5 Giorno Giovanna: Golden Heritage, and was collected into seventeen volumes by Jump..., and TuskTuskTusk is the Stand of Johnny Joestar, featured in the seventh part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Steel Ball Run. Tusk's abilities are intimately linked with the supernatural phenomenon known as the Spin. Similarly to Echoes, Tusk develops various different forms, or "ACTs," which build upon this connection as... from Steel Ball RunSteel Ball RunSteel Ball Run, alternatively stylized in uppercase English as STEEL BALL RUN, is the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Initially serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from January 19, 2004 to October 18, 2004, the part's publication later moved to Ultra Jump, where it was serialized from March 19, 2005....

Araki’s Creation Process Interview

What was your initial reaction when you received the request for this project?

Hirohiko Araki (hereinafter, Araki): When I received the request, I heard that there used to be a monument called “Fountain Boy” here, which is now sleeping in a museum. They wanted to revive it in a new form, and I thought that was wonderful.

I don’t usually get to do public work as a manga artist, so I was truly honored to be able to contribute. I put my best effort into drawing it.

Many fans were excited to hear the news that you were creating an art piece. The characters from your work, Stands, appear in this piece. Can you tell us why?

Araki: When I saw the photo of the “Fountain Boy” statue, I realized it followed the Roman tradition of public fountains. Public fountains in Rome have a long-standing tradition of serving the community, so I thought I should draw a fountain. Fountains circulate and symbolize natural phenomena descending from the heavens, cleansing and purifying the world. StandsStandA Stand is a physical manifestation of a person's "life energy". It is a power unique to the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. A Stand is an entity psychically generated by its owner, referred to as a Stand user. It generally presents itself as an ethereal figure hovering over or near... in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure also depict natural forces and invisible powers. I felt they were absolutely necessary in the fountain, so I scattered several of them around.

This piece features seven Stands. How did you choose these seven?

Araki: They’re in order of their strength and power (laughs). Since it’s a fountain, I also included November RainNovember RainNovember Rain is the Stand of Jodio Joestar, featured in the ninth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, The JOJOLands. It has the ability to summon rain showers that Jodio can selectively make crushingly heavy. November Rain has a humanoid head and broad torso attached to a downward-pointing cone...., a Stand that makes it rain. It’s the one that creates the most rain for the fountain. It’s a Stand from the ongoing series The JOJOLandsThe JOJOLandsThe JOJOLands is the ninth and current part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was announced in the September 2021 issue of Ultra Jump on August 19, 2021, and began serialization in the March 2023 issue on February 17, 2023. In contemporary Hawaii, Jodio Joestar, a 15-year-old boy living in Honolulu,....

I drew this with the hope that it would bring healing, hope, and good fortune to those who use or pass by this spot, and that something good might happen when they meet here.

This place might become a new power spot at Osaka Station.

Araki: (laughs) I hope so.

Under the Stands, there’s a boy depicted. Is this the Fountain Boy?

Araki: When I saw the photo, I imagined him like this, with curly hair and holding something like a tray. It’s a pose that seems to be receiving rain or water. And that’s how I ended up completing it.

What was the most challenging part of the creation process?

Araki: Manga is usually drawn on rectangular paper, but this time I was asked to draw in a circular shape. However, I realized that a circle has an infinite image, so I thought there could be pictures in that form as well. Deciding where to place everything was difficult; the composition was challenging.

So was this a new challenge for you?

Araki: Yes, I don’t usually draw circular pictures.

There seemed to be more to discuss, but due to time constraints, the talk at the unveiling ceremony ended, followed by a photo session with Araki and the president of JR West, Kazuaki Hasegawa. President Hasegawa praised Araki for continuing to draw JoJo, saying, “He conveys various messages to the world through the protagonist, who lives in the present while inheriting old history.” He noted that foreign tourists were also paying attention, highlighting Araki’s global recognition.

Map

For those in Japan who would like to go see Araki’s art, it is located at #0 on this map above.

Sources: Oricon News, Gigazine, WARP

Additional Videos

On October 8, 2024, the Comic Natalie YouTube channel uploaded two new videos showing Araki’s process of painting.