Post-Apocalyptic Illustrations of Tokyo in Ruins

Shinjuku Station – the road has collapsed on the South side of the station, revealing pools of blue water that have formed on the train tracks

Stories about the collapse of civilization and order—apocalyptic stories—endlessly seduce us. As terrifying as the real thing would surely be, we love imagining our world destroyed. And Japanese illustrator Tokyo Genso excels at painting that picture for us. He creates lush CG illustrations of notable Tokyo landmarks that are in ruins and, in many cases, have been reclaimed by nature.

Ginza – nature has overtaken Ginza’s famous Wako Building

When he’s not creating backgrounds for games and anime, CG artist Tokyo Genso imagines what parts of Tokyo, as well as other places around the world, would look like in post-apocalyptic settings. And his lush, detailed illustrations play right into our fantasies. It reminds me a bit of Hayao Miyazaki’s post-apocalyptic world he depicted back in 1995 for this music video.

If you’re in Tokyo you can see the artist’s works in-person at an exhibition being held at Ginza Tsutaya (6th Floor of the Ginza 6 department store) from June 3 – July 3, 2023. You can keep up with Tokyo Genso and his work on Twitter at @Tokyo_Genso.

Suginami-ku overtaken by nature; specifically, cedar trees. This image is particularly timely right now with the Japanese government having declared war on cedar pollen.