A Human Face 'Floating' Over Tokyo Skies... Who Is the Main Character?

The Japanese art team 'Me' (目) presented a public art piece called 'Masayume' (正夢) as part of an event related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
[Photo by Masayume YouTube capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Sumi Hwang] One week before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, a 'giant face' appeared in the Tokyo sky, capturing people's attention.

On the 16th, a giant balloon-shaped hot air balloon in the shape of a human face floated over a park near Shibuya (澁谷), Tokyo.

This face is a public art piece called "Masayume" (正夢) presented by the art team "Me" (目), consisting of three Japanese artists, as part of events related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

"Masayume" means that dreams come true in reality. It seems to carry the message that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which were postponed due to COVID-19, are finally opening.

The art team Me said, "One member was inspired by a dream they had at age 14, where a human face rose like the moon," adding, "We hope that people who see the work will feel that 'it's okay for mysterious things to happen' and that it will lead to the power of imagination."

The size of this work approaches the height of a 6 to 7-story building. The model for the face is known to be a real person selected from about 1,000 applicants gathered online. However, the age, gender, and nationality of the face's owner have not been disclosed.

People who happened to see the artwork while looking up at the sky were surprised or took photos, NHK reported.

Japanese netizens responded with comments such as "The face was so realistic it was scary and eerie," "It was a unique attempt," and "The person selected for the face must feel honored."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.