The Beautiful Girl of Okegawa: A Beach Pose in Landlocked Saitama
A woman in a bikini stands beneath a wooden roof beside a road in Okegawa, Saitama, north of Tokyo. She holds her long black hair in both hands. At her feet, a stone plaque gives her name without hesitation: The Beautiful Girl of Okegawa.
Whatever your first impression, the introduction has been taken care of.
She is made of concrete. Blue-painted waves surround her feet, supplying a little seaside atmosphere to a location otherwise well served by utility poles and passing traffic.
An exhibition you are free to ignore
The artist was Yasuo Okano, a local carpenter who had been recognised for his skills and also made sculptures. The figure appeared around 2009, its pose reportedly inspired by a woman in a magazine. A photograph had suggested the idea; working with his hands allowed him to give it a rather more substantial presence beside the road.
Her painted appearance was not the original intention. In an explanation displayed beside the work, Okano wrote that he had wanted to leave the concrete exposed. Soon after she was installed, someone knocked her over and she cracked. The repairs led him to paint her. The red of her swimsuit came later still: he repainted it after remembering a model in a red swimsuit.
He also explained what visitors were looking at: his outdoor solo exhibition. Anyone who did not want to look was welcome to walk straight past.
It is an unusually practical way to accommodate differences in artistic taste.
The exhibition stands on private property and is viewed from outside the fence. A warehouse rises behind the figures and wires cross the sky. Nothing around them has been rearranged to announce that an encounter with art is about to occur. You might simply be going shopping.
The supporting cast
The Beautiful Girl has company. Beside her, a panda sits on a tall rock, holding a flag. One side of the flag carries her name; the other reads “Go, Japan”.
The panda is also reported to be Okano’s work. Across from it, a lion stands with its mouth open and its mane swept into elaborate curls. This member of the group is reportedly a purchased piece.
Together, they make a curious reception committee: a panda with a message, a woman dressed for the water and a lion that would look quite comfortable outside a country house.
And naturally, there is a song
Okano also wrote and composed “The Beautiful Girl of Okegawa”. Its lyrics were displayed beside the sculpture, in three verses.
They describe drivers setting out early, facing long journeys and finding encouragement in the woman beside the road. Her red swimsuit, pale skin and long black hair each receive attention.
Apparently, concrete had not said quite enough.
A 2015 account suggested that there was no recording or sheet music. Beside the road, at least, the song exists as words.
The roadside setting begins to make more sense. A sculpture on private land can still keep someone company on a public road.
Okano had made allowances for anyone who wanted to walk straight past.
Instead, I took photographs, wrote an article and brought you along.
Visit this place
Location
The Beautiful Girl of Okegawa (桶川の美少女)
Outdoor artwork across the road from Benibana Walk Okegawa
Shimohideya-higashi 3-chome, Okegawa, Saitama 363-0029, Japan
Practical Information
- Area
- Shimohideya-higashi, Okegawa, Saitama, opposite Benibana Walk Okegawa
- Access
- Okegawa Station (JR Takasaki Line)
Benibana Walk Okegawa is officially listed as about a 15-minute walk from the station; allow a little extra time to reach the sculptures across the road. - Viewing
- The sculptures stand on private property. A sign displayed by the creator states that visitors must not enter the fenced or private area, so view the works from outside the property.
- Parking
- No dedicated visitor parking for the sculptures
- Official website
- None known
Information last checked: August 27, 2026
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