Maman Spider

Sculptural icon of Roppongi

If you've ever been to Roppongi Hills you've almost definitely seen the Maman Spider, which is an icon of the area if you ask me. It's the work of French-American artist Louise Bourgeois, and Tokyo isn't home to the only one of these -- there are several others around the world, including Qatar, Spain, and Canada to name just a few. Bourgeois had an interesting philosophy about these, and on her Wikipedia she's quoted as saying the spider is an ode to her mother (Maman = mother in French), and that spiders eat mosquitoes and are helpful creatures. Probably need to be extra grateful for the Maman Spider in the summertime! ;)