THE FOUNTAIN BOY

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—Hirohiko Araki, JOJO magazine 2024 WINTER

THE FOUNTAIN BOY (ザ・ファウンテンボーイ, Za Faunten Bōi) is the first public art piece created by Hirohiko Araki, which was officially revealed on July 29, 2024 and opened to the public alongside the station building "Inogate Osaka" on July 31, 2024. It is stained glass art depicting the "Fountain Boy", a statue that became the symbol of Osaka Station, alongside seven Stands from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.

Appearance

The stained glass is housed within a massive, spherical black structure that serves as its frame. The glass is divided into five sections by black metal bars that form a cross shape intersecting at the center, with an additional circular frame at the center of the artwork.

The artwork itself features a central figure, the "Fountain Boy", prominently displayed against a vibrant background. The Fountain Boy is a youthful figure with curly gray hair, expressive blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and a serene yet confident demeanor. He is based on the image Hirohiko Araki had of a Roman boy,^[1] wearing a gray sleeveless tunic and a light blue belt with the hand symbol from Lucky Land Communications on the buckle. The Fountain Boy has both of his hands raised, displaying his open palms.

The background is dark blue and adorned with vertical lines to depict falling rain, interspersed with small white droplets. Surrounding the figure are circular motifs including the faces of six Stands from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. These Stands are colored in pink, with Star Platinum and Killer Queen having green backgrounds, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Tusk having blue backgrounds, and Stone Free and Gold Experience having black backgrounds. The upper section has a red background, including the sun and moon on opposite sides, with November Rain colored in green in the center. There are also blue stars surrounding the moon and a cloud beside the sun.

On the sides are two yellow dragons representing 2024 being the Year of the Dragon. Rain falls from their mouths to symbolize the theme of circulation. Below them are flowers and fruits to symbolize the harvest of nature.^[1]

History

Original Fountain Boy

The "Fountain Boy" statue

The original Fountain Boy is a 1.2-meter-tall bronze statue holding a lotus leaf above its head. Two statues were installed in 1901 when the second Osaka Station building opened. One of the statues later went missing, but the remaining one was displayed in the central concourse of Osaka Station upon the completion of the third station building in 1940. It became a beloved symbol of Osaka Station, often used as a meeting spot by many people. In 2004, during renovations for the fifth station building, the statue was relocated and is now preserved at the Kyoto Railway Museum.^[2]

Hirohiko Araki's Art Piece

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Osaka Station's opening in 2024 and to enhance its cultural value, West Japan Railway Company (JR West) launched an art project called "WARP" (West Art Project), showcasing diverse contemporary art pieces. Multiple creators were asked to produce public art to promote Osaka.^[1]

On May 16, 2024, JR West announced the launch of this project. Hirohiko Araki was commissioned as one of the participants, who accepted the offer because he found it Romantic that they asked him to revive the Fountain Boy as the symbol of Osaka Station.^[3] Kae Fukushima, the creative director of the project from JR West Japan Communications, explained that they chose Araki because his works have an overwhelming presence, they're beloved by people worldwide, they have a high degree of artistic originality, and he was the first Japanese manga artist to be showcased at the Louvre Museum.^[1]

An unveiling ceremony was held on July 29, 2024, where Araki was interviewed, and members of the press were invited to see the finished art piece.^[4]

Creation and Development

Concept and Design

Seeing a photo of the Fountain Boy statue, Araki realized that it followed the Roman tradition of public fountains being places where people would gather, interact, and find comfort.^[1] Fountains circulate water and symbolize natural phenomena "descending from the heavens," cleansing and purifying the world. Water also represents a cycle; rain falls, flows into rivers, reaches the sea, evaporates, and becomes rain again. Thus, Araki was inspired to use themes related to an "infinite circle" and rotation, leading to the circular design.^[3]^[1]

Since Stands in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure also depict natural forces and invisible powers, Araki felt they were necessary to include in the fountain and scattered them around. Including Stands allowed him to add a personal touch reflecting his own style. He added November Rain because it controls rain, making it fit perfectly with the fountain theme. The other six were selected based on the order of their strength, power, and the appearance of their silhouettes. He believed that Star Platinum and Killer Queen were must-haves because of how powerful they are.^[4]^[1] All of the symbols and motifs in the background like the sun and moon are meant to represent good fortune. Although some of the Stands are destructive, they align with the theme of "destruction and rebirth," which Araki believes makes them symbols of good fortune in their own way.^[1]

As the original Fountain Boy had its arms raised, Araki kept that pose for his art since it was also reminiscent of a rainmaking ritual and the pose Jodio Joestar does to make it rain. For the hairstyle, Araki aimed to align with the atmosphere of the statue, while also incorporating a touch of Vento Aureo due to its Italian setting fitting the idea Araki had of the character being a Roman boy. When drawing the boy's face, he intentionally avoided having the gaze directed at the audience because a piercing gaze can feel overwhelming for viewers.^[1]