Rakugaki

Graffiti, or rakugaki in Japan, is the typical term applied to any basic public markings, whether it’s the small writing on bathroom stalls or the huge pictures done on city buildings. Usually associated with gangs, graffiti is typically done by non-gang members. Gang related graffiti only qualifies for 10% of the pieces out there and this is mainly to mark territory. Hip-Hop culture and graffiti are heavily intertwined. Hip-hop eventually made its way to Japan, where graffiti also found its way overseas. With the help of the film “Wildstyle,” graffiti and hip-hop had an impact on the Japanese culture. Afterwards Japanese graffiti artists and Japanese culture merged to create unique works of art that make graffiti uniquely Japanese.