"Akihabara" from Erica Ward's 2024 series, "Yamanote Bonsai"

Akihabara is the swirling epicenter of anime fan culture. Here the standard grays of Tokyo cityscape suddenly explode into primary colors and maid-pink billboards, with anime eyes smiling at you from every advertisement. The place name, Akihabara, means field of autumn leaves, and the main thoroughfare through this area lined with gingko trees.

The nerdy roots of Akihabara go back to when the district was the “electric town” of Tokyo, with a concentration of electronics and computer parts shops. Retro electronic parts stalls still remain in a market under the JR tracks, which I included in the trunk of the bonsai.

Original Erica Ward Illustration watercolor design "Yamanote Bonsai: Akihabara" in A4 (210x297mm) print. Unsigned, open edition.

Printed in Kyoto on Vent Nouveau 195kg paper