Does street art exist in spotless Tokyo? Yes! But strict vandalism laws and conservative Japanese culture have suppressed the graffiti scene in Tokyo. This stunning survey by photographer and graffiti artist Lord K2 takes you into the Tokyo neighborhoods exhibiting a colorful array of urban art created on the fly and as low-key as possible. Here is a look at vibrant stickers, tags, highly elaborate murals by both local and international artists, and a gallery of work by the artist network Pow! Wow! Worldwide. The images are accompanied by well-researched commentary and a history of Tokyo graffiti, positioning this book as a comprehensive introduction to the best-kept secrets Tokyo's graffiti scene has to offer.

Sumo offers a unique behind-the-scenes view into the secret and fascinating world of sumo, a living breathing showcase of ancient Japan. Sumo is one of the oldest sports in the world, stretching back over 2,000 years. Within the Japanese establishment, there exists a great sense of pride that so little about the sport has changed in the past millennium. Wrestlers still live by a strict code, in and outside of the dojo, and to commit to the sport requires complete devotion from an early age. As Japan has surged forwards into modernity, this fascinating corner of culture has remained anchored to the past. Gaining behind-the-scenes access is notoriously difficult as sumo is a sport shrouded in secrecy. A full year was spent by the author knocking on doors and filling out endless paperwork before he was eventually granted permission to chronicle the lives of wrestlers; a world where history, culture, pride, and athleticism combine. Sumo documents the strict codes to which wrestlers adhere. The photographs bring to life the stringent dietary and training regimes which require enormous dedication and the many unique practices which make sumo fascinating a living, breathing showcase of ancient Japan. This book offers a unique set of over 95 photographs that are sequenced rhythmically and poetically in order to give the armchair viewer an insight into not only the drama and excitement of the tournaments, but also the dedication of the wrestlers and the sacrifices they make in order to have a chance to compete at the highest level.

Santiago, with its deeply evolved and extremely active underground graffiti scene, bursts at the seams with an abundance of eye-popping, jaw-dropping murals. Stencil graffiti artist Lord K2 documents 14 neighborhoods within the capital of Chile with his arresting photography and intimate conversations with local artists. Through more than 200 images and 80 interviews, learn how street art was influenced by American, European, and Brazilian graffiti and how its evolution runs parallel to the political history of the nation itself. During the Cold War, nationalist muralist brigades spread socialist idealism through symbols of power and oppression. Santiago's repressed lower classes gradually usurped the art form, and murals eventually became a weapon of resistance. This vibrant city, with its array of distinct cultural districts, now invites you to experience its fascinating and tightly knit artistic community that has flourished since the fall of Pinochet's dictatorship in 1990.

Distinctly unique, Tel Avivs street art represents a wide spectrum of cultural backgrounds and aesthetic sensibilities. Echoing the uncertainty that permeates Israels daily existence, it possesses a rawness and energy found in few modern cities. Through more than 250 images, 14 artist profiles, and comprehensive research, Street Art Tel Aviv introduces the reader to an alternative visual culture that has developed and thrived at a time when the citys building exteriors are plentiful, and living and workspaces are still available to emerging artists. At the turn of the 21st century, Tel Avivs gritty streets, particularly those in southern industrial neighbourhoods, began to host a motley array of spectral faces, uncanny figures and curious characters. Random graffiti, from scrawls on the walls to stylized letters, made their way into largely vacant spaces. Artistic renderings of band-aids, hearts and eggplants evolved into iconic city images. Poetic expressions and musings from the personal to the collective surfaced increasingly on Tel Avivs flat facades. And while much of what is painted directly onto the walls avoids commenting on the citys precarious political state, the stencils that continue to surface often stealthily in the dark alert us to the citys seemingly irresolvable, ever-present external and internal conflicts. Street Art Tel Aviv also gives entry into Tel Avivs Central Bus Station, Israels largest indoor urban art gallery. Showcasing murals in a diverse range of styles, painted directly onto its walls by local, national and international artists since 2013, it is a favourite site for street art and contemporary art enthusiasts. Herewith the opportunity to explore this vibrant citys visual landscape at a time of transition for both the city itself and for this new visual art genre.