For decades, Japan has been admired for its ability to blend tradition with creativity, turning everyday objects into unexpected works of art. Among its most striking examples is the transformation of abandoned public phone booths into vibrant goldfish aquariums, an installation that once turned heads on the streets of Osaka and inspired similar displays elsewhere.

Breathing New Life Into Forgotten Icons

As smartphones took over and public payphones disappeared, many of Japan’s iconic glass phone booths were left unused. In 2011, a group of art students and designers known as Kingyobu — literally “Goldfish Club” — set out to reimagine these relics. They sealed the booths, waterproofed the structure, installed aeration systems, and filled them with shimmering orange goldfish.

The idea was simple but captivating: repurpose obsolete urban fixtures into something alive and beautiful. Retaining the old rotary phones inside added a nostalgic, almost surreal charm. Suddenly, a symbol of the analog past became a moving display of life and color.

Cultural Resonance and Public Fascination

The installation quickly drew curiosity and affection. Goldfish — kingyo in Japanese — hold deep cultural symbolism in Japan, associated with summer festivals, beauty, and good fortune. Seeing them swim inside once-utilitarian phone booths created a poetic collision of eras: modern Japan confronting its past while celebrating art and playfulness.

Tourists and locals alike paused to take photos, and images of the glowing tanks circulated widely online. The Osaka booths became a social media phenomenon, praised for combining sustainability with imagination by recycling old structures instead of demolishing them.

Legal and Artistic Ripples

The idea spread so successfully that it eventually sparked a copyright dispute. In Nara Prefecture — famous for its goldfish breeding — a similar goldfish phone booth appeared, prompting artist Nobuki Yamamoto to sue for intellectual property infringement. In 2022, the Osaka High Court recognized his original concept as protected artwork, underscoring how even street art can carry legal and creative ownership.

Temporary Yet Impactful

Although these phone booth aquariums were never installed “across all of Japan,” as some viral social posts suggest, the Osaka installations made a strong cultural impression. Some have since been removed or relocated, but their legacy remains — a testament to how imaginative urban reuse can capture the public’s heart.

Beyond their visual appeal, the project sparked conversations about art’s role in everyday spaces, sustainability, and the importance of preserving creative authorship. It also highlighted how Japan’s rich relationship with goldfish continues to inspire new ways of blending nature and city life.

A Lesson in Reinvention

What began as a playful design experiment became a viral symbol of urban renewal and cultural pride. Even if the booths themselves were temporary, their influence lingers — a reminder that innovation can spring from nostalgia, and that beauty can swim where we least expect it.