HIROSAKI, Aomori Prefecture–A huge fruity mosaic of an iconic Japanese artwork completed in the Hirosakijo castle courtyard on Oct. 18 is set to become the apple of locals’ eye.
Using about 30,000 apples, the specialty of the prefecture, a portrait of a Kabuki actor by Toshusai Sharaku of the Edo Period was reproduced on a base measuring 17 meters long and 9 meters wide. It was set up by the main keep of the castle, which is part of Hirosaki Park here in northwestern Japan.
The mosaic was assembled in red and yellow using varieties of toki, hirosaki-fuji and hatorazu-tsugaru apples.
Sharaku was a mysterious painter who left a number of highly acclaimed portraits of ukiyo-e woodblock prints at the very end of the 18th century.
The apple artwork will be officially shown to the public at an unveiling ceremony scheduled on the morning of Oct. 20 to coincide with the start of the Hirosaki Castle Chrysanthemum and Autumn Foliage Festival. It will be lit up until 9 p.m. daily while on display through Oct. 29.
The Hirosaki city government has been working on the piece since Oct. 10. After the exhibition ends, it is planning to make apple juice out of the fruit used for the mosaic to promote the city.
Source by The Asahi Shimbum