Graffiti and scribbles on walls and shutters can be seen in many places across Tokyo. Officials have been prompted to address the problem and take preventive measures.
Tokyo police have recently arrested two men in their 20s on suspicion of scribbling graffiti on the walls of buildings in the western Tokyo city of Hachioji.
Graffiti, apparently drawn with spray paint, were found at five locations near JR Hachioji Station, including a construction site and the shutter of a store in early September. They had reportedly distinctive similarities.
Police say the two suspects said they wanted to leave their calling cards in the city.
They also said they were inspired by the hip-hop culture and wanted to create art of their own.
Meanwhile, officials of Shibuya Ward in central Tokyo say they are also grappling with graffiti.
Shibuya Ward began receiving information about graffiti on social media and other platforms in April 2021. By September 15 this year, they had received a total of 1,321 reports, and based on 856 of them, they say they erased graffiti covering a total of more than 10,000 square meters.
The ward uses a cleanup firm or supply residents tools necessary for erasing graffiti.
The ward office now uses artificial intelligence to tackle graffiti. The AI detects graffiti in videos showing Shibuya’s streets and make an estimate of the area of graffiti and the costs to erase them.
Using the AI system, officials can sort out those possibly created by the same person and locate the person’s area of activity. In some cases, such information has helped police arrest perpetrators.
An official at the ward office says that graffiti is a crime, and if it is left neglected, the public will feel insecure.
He said that AI could help reduce the expensive costs of erasure, and maintain the aesthetics of Shibuya for visitors.