This is Part II in a three part series of graffiti found around the streets of Yokohma Japan - all captured on camera recently by Amoeba Music fan ACCO - who is a diehard hip-hop fan.  Note the many stylistic differences between Japanese and American graffiti - both subtle and distinct - including the common recurring  influence of Anime (Japanese animation) in many of these Tokyo pieces.

      


These photos, all recently shot in Yokohama Japan, were taken by Amoeba Music fan ACCO who is a mjaor fan of all four elements of hip-hop, especially graf and turntablism.  In Japan the native word for graffiti, is "rakugaki" although this term tends to symbolize the more traditional (pre hip-hop) meaning for graffiti. Many consider the early nineties as the real beginnings of Japanese graffiti in the hip--hop related form and, interestingly, graffiti was the last element of hip-hop to catch on in Japan.  Hence compared to the US graf in Japan is still a relatively young art form.  But nonetheless a recognized one by both the underground and established art worlds, something confirmed two years ago when a major contemporary Japanese art museum took the unprecedented step of dedicating an entire exhibit  devoted to showcasing graffiti writers: titled the  "X-COLOR Graffiti in Japan"  the exhibit was held at the Art Tower Mito, under curator Kenji Kubota who invited Japanese graf artists from all over the country to  do something unheard of before in Japanese musuems.galleries: to freely tag up the museum's walls and create pieces throughout the city as way to help the average Japanese citizen to appreciate the street art form more.   These pictures, the first in a three part series, were all taken in Yokohama recently.