'The Gate of Dynamism'

The Gate of Dynamism Fred Cherrygarden (Atlas Obscura User)

When visiting Tokyo DisneySea, most people take the Resort Line monorail from Maihama Station to the park. However, what most don’t know is that the Maihama Station is within walking distance of DisneySea, about 15-minutes. Along this walking route, visitors are bound to pass the massive sculpture created by a world-famous artist Taro Okamoto know as, “The Gate of Dynamism” (“Yakudō-no-mon”).

Standing over 52 feet (16 meters) tall, the sculpture is located at the entrance of Urayasu City Sports Park, right next to Tokyo DisneySea. The giant sculpture was completed in 1993 and was crafted in an avant-garde, abstract style very popular in Okamoto’s work. The sculpture depicts five humans in a state of uncertain action, its offbeat dynamism coincides with the title of the sculpture.

According to Okamoto, the sprout-like sculpture symbolizes life and vitality, while the white “gate” is designed to resemble a pair of hands reaching towards the heavens. They represent hope for the future.

Two other works by Okamoto can also be found within the park, one titled “The Five Continents,” is a quintet of abstract and quasi-organic objects representing the cultures of the world. The other sculpture is an enlarged replica of the 1964 Summer Olympics participation medal.

Know Before You Go

Urayasu City Sports Park is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The "Gate of Dynamism," is massive and at the entrance of the park, it's a can't miss. To see "The Five Continents," go under the "gate," take the main promenade, and walk straight. Keep in mind, the latter is placed in a sandbox of sorts and children may be playing inside.

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