Hinoramu Illumination is an installation piece from the early 1990’s created by Yukinori Yanagi, a New York based Japanese artist. With a large steel panel measuring 118 1/8 x 177 1/8 x 15 3/4, commanding the viewers’ attention with hypnotic neon hinomaru pattern dominates the piece. It also recalls the neon signs present in some of the modern and ever growing economic districts of Tokyo. The ceramic haniwa reproductions are all around 39 3/8 inches tall

Created in 1991, Hinomaru Illumination is made up of some of the oldest symbols of Japan presented in a new fashion and entirely different meanings than their original ones.

This work, also known as Amaterasu and Haniwa, is a direct criticism and questioning of Japanese nationalism and historic imperialism and in some ways of the new materialistic society and economy. Made up of a large neon hinomaru, or Japanese flag and a group of haniwa reproductions, this piece was not created for aesthetic purposes. The hinomaru is symbolic of Japanese nationalism, imperialism and the indigenous Shinto belief in the sun goddess, Amaterasu and her supposed familial connections to the imperial family. The haniwa are supposed to be representative of the Japanese people and how blindly they have followed and worshiped the imperial family for centuries. This piece has also been said to represent the use of nationalism by Japanese businesses and Japan’s economic and social control on its people.

Sarah Rossing, Art 260, Spring 2005.