Tower of the Sun Sculpture

Gazing up at the Tower of the Sun, have you ever wondered about its hidden face? This iconic sculpture, created by Taro Okamoto, dominates Osaka’s Expo Commemoration Park. It’s not just a towering figure but a time capsule from Expo ’70, the first world’s fair in Asia. The Tower of the Sun wasn’t merely decorative. It embodied the Expo’s theme: “Progress and Harmony for Mankind”. Okamoto cleverly wove this theme into the Tower of the Sun by giving it three distinct faces. The large, moon-like face at the center represents the present. Atop the tower, the gold-plated face symbolizes the future, its eyes glowing eerily at night. The third face, a black sun mosaic made from Shigaraki pottery, hides at the back, representing the past. The Tower of the Sun originally had a fourth face, the “Underground Sun”. This face resided within the tower’s base. Mysteriously, this fourth face disappeared after the Expo and its location remains unknown. The tower itself stands 230 feet tall, a steel and concrete giant with 80-foot wingspans and red mosaic lightning bolts. Inside, the “Tree of Life” sculpture once stood, a psychedelic representation of evolution, adorned with orbs and miniatures. Visitors traveled through the tower on moving staircases and elevators. Although the interior is currently closed, there are rumors of it reopening, showcasing the restored “Tree of Life” and a recreation of the “Underground Sun”. The Tower of the Sun remains a powerful symbol from a time of optimism and technological advancement, a testament to Japan’s vision of the future.