Steps from Tokyo’s Higashinakano Station, a pair of mural-like signs hang from the weathered wood facade of a tall, slender building fronting Yamate-dori Avenue.
One features a fresco painting of Mount Fuji, flanked by the four auspicious beasts of Chinese mythology, alongside the visage of Mahatma Gandhi. The other, perched above an adjacent window, depicts several multicolored nymph-like figures mid-flight and interspersed with cryptic phrases in Japanese like “food autonomy zone” and “noncooperation with warring nation-states.” Although understated for street art across the globe, the signage is potent commentary in a country not known for overt political messaging.
This is Pao Compound, a nine-story dining, shopping and entertainment complex in Nakano Ward dedicated to promoting exploration and understanding of countries lying along the historical Silk Road — including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey — while also serving as a gathering space for local residents. The structure has multiple entrances, each serving as something of a portal to the region.
