The Fujin Raijin-zu (Picture of Wind and Thunder Gods) is an early Edo Period painting by Tawaraya Sōtatsu that has since become a familiar work of art in Japan as well as the rest of the world. Though the original was created back during the 17th century, a modernized version of the work has recently been created by a group of race car drivers packing LED lights on the roofs of their cars.

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A performance put together by Toyota and three professional Japanese race car drivers, white lights were placed on the body of red, blue, and white colored Toyota Mark X vehicles, which were then driven through an open space to paint the work anew.

By capturing the light trajectory of the cars, the outlines of the wind and thunder gods were masterfully replicated in the same way as Sōtatsu's painting. Even the stops and sweeps of the paintbrush were mimicked by the cars, by adjusting the speed of the vehicles and brightness of the LED lights.

Despite the performance being an obvious promotion for Toyota's Mark X, the immense amount of artistry and skill that went behind the project is hard not to appreciate. Whether the video successfully increases Toyota's sales or not, this artistic performance will surely be turning heads in their direction.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.