Comments on: Yoshitomo Nara arrested in New York

By: Namimori Hibari

Namimori Hibari — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:51:45 +0000

Pretty extreme. I can understand two days though. Yashitomo is my freaking idol! Did he have to pay a fee at all? Walls need more color on them, I think that two days was a bit much. Then again, it is better than having to clean the wall…

By: jewlienyan

jewlienyan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:45:42 +0000

Haha, the life of the artist! I could imagine him drawing that picture going “Oh Snap I got caught again!” and dashing for it.

By: neophytes in necropolis | Thangdynasty

neophytes in necropolis | Thangdynasty — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:56:02 +0000

[...] so a budding Yoshitomo Nara of a neophyte, with an explorer’s thirst for charting unknown and forbidden territories [...]

By: weapons of massdistraction › The Thin Gruel of Narrative

weapons of massdistraction › The Thin Gruel of Narrative — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:35:07 +0000

[...] favorite Japanese artist, Yoshimoto Nara, was arrested in NYC a couple of weeks ago. Before his gallery opening. For graffiti. The man is welcome to doodle on [...]

By: Haf

Haf — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:03:07 +0000

“possession of graffiti instruments”, WTF? What are graffiti instruments anyway? I thought they use mostly cans of spray paint? Since when is the posession of those illegal?

“Looks, he’s got a lighter, that’s a marijuana instrument, arrest him!”

By: Wide Angle Permission Wall Graffiti | Austin Graffiti

Wide Angle Permission Wall Graffiti | Austin Graffiti — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:44:59 +0000

[...] Japan Probe has been following the exploits of Yoshitomo Nara, a Japanese pop artist who was arrested for writing graffiti in a NYC subway station. Not only was he charged with Criminal mischief, possession of graffiti instruments, making graffiti and resisting arrest [...]

By: Ikunochan

Ikunochan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:29:57 +0000

I love it, and I absolutely agree!

By: ponta

ponta — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:58:09 +0000

http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/racism-in-japan-%E4%BA%BA%E7%A8%AE%E5%B7%AE%E5%88%A5%E5%A4%A7%E5%9C%8B%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%EF%BC%9F
I think this is a balanced account of J police “harassing” foreigners.”

By: Ikunochan

Ikunochan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:04:16 +0000

Thank you Overthinker, for the link.

It’s interesting to know, though when I said that, I meant it somewhat sarcastically since I’ve read so many accounts of Japanese police supposedly harassing foreigners just for innocently riding down the street on their bikes. It made me wonder what they might do to one caught defacing public property.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:32:09 +0000

A fine, no more than 50,000 yen (save in Nara). I cannot imagine you would be deported.
http://www.47news.jp/CN/200406/CN2004062201001523.html

By: ray

ray — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:11:50 +0000

I would pay money to have that piece of wall where he graffitied.

I freaking love his work

By: mike

mike — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:40:12 +0000

his name is Yoshitomo, not Yoshimoto (in the headline). See the news blurb.

By: Randwulf

Randwulf — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:07:11 +0000

And if it’s done on red brick there is no scrubbing it off, you have to get it sandblasted, and so that sandblasted area doesn’t stick out, you get the whole wall done. Yeah, 2 days is not nearly enough.

By: Ikunochan

Ikunochan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:12:07 +0000

Do you know that for sure? By comparison, I’m interested in what the penalty would be in Japan for vandalization of public property, whether by foreigners or Japanese.

By: Abby-Sophia

Abby-Sophia — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:48:29 +0000

If you’ve ever had to scrub graffiti off something, you’d think that the 2 days wasn’t long enough.

By: Stanley

Stanley — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:40:18 +0000

Yeah, in New York City and many other major cities there has been a boom in graffiti related incidents. In response, the pigs are really sticking it to artists/vandals and throwing some of the more prominent taggers in jail for months to years along with fines that need to be paid.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:07:18 +0000

No you wouldn’t. What are you talking about?

By: Ikunochan

Ikunochan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:57:53 +0000

Hmm…If I were caught vandalizing some location in Japan, I’d probably be deported. Seems like a lucky slap on the wrist for a spoiled brat from here.

By: tyson

tyson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:21:24 +0000

He was kept in jail for more than just drawing on the wall. Probably started arguing with the police and started a scuffle.

Although, having seen graffiti in NYC, I personally think he was arrested for drawing that ugly ass picture with lame text. “Cool here”?

By: Space Cakes

Space Cakes — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:45:22 +0000

This makes me want to dust off my Fantomas “Suspended Animation” album.

By: hl

hl — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:34:32 +0000

I could see a fine, a reprimand, and making him buy supplies and clean it up or repaint. But two days in jail?

Wow, I didn’t know that graffiti was punished so harshly.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:49:20 +0000

Definitely enjoyed his gallery in Hirosaki.

By: leitmotiv

leitmotiv — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:18:50 +0000

Monster gaijin.

By: Rick L.

Rick L. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:09:30 +0000

Yeah, that wall looked so beautiful, before he drew on it.