Heaven Artists- FourLegsMAN

FourLegsMAN is the creation of Heaven Artist Chikurino, a delightful fusion of creepy black-clad stalker, entrancing four-legged mime and hilariously shocking legs akimbo flasher. Like the Black Widow he draws in his prey with mesmerizing foot-work, four legs walking him smoothly on and off his box and round his den until all eyes are set on trying to determine- ‘how is he doing that, and which are his real legs?’ Then he ups skirts, the two fake legs hoist like a giant maw opening, and he charges down his unwitting prey- normally school-girls who dash away laughing hysterically.

Chikurino is a 31-year old street performer who’s been working the Tokyo Parks scene for 7 years, having quit the salaryman life-style at the tender age of 24. He applied for Heaven Artist status in 2004 and succeeded- qualifying as a multi-skilled performer: magician, juggler, mime, and tablecloth-puller.

FourLegsMAN surveys his crowd, probably wondering which one to eat.

I’m a little surprised and delighted at the number of Heaven Artists currently active in Tokyo today. I really had no idea. I thought Masahiro Tatematsu the drummer and Yukinko Akira the hipster painter were two of only a few privileged individuals innovating in the city’s parks. After a little web research though I found some Heaven Artist’s pages, along with information and performance schedules.

Here’s Chikurino’s site.

Of course, it’s in Japanese. You can use a translation engine like Babelfish to put it in English, and it’ll even translate the following pages you click- though it makes a mess of the schedule page.

Anyhow- I hunted that down last night and had some time today- so went off in search off him in Ueno Park, and across a 90 minute period I saw about 7 different acts- all of them of great quality in their individual fields, all of them bringing a smile (or even a hysterical yawp when I got four-leg-flashed!) to my face.

The bucket for Yen to be delivered into. FourLegsMAN would frequently point at this bucket and make the money sign (finger thumb made into a circle). He made a point of shaking everybody’s hand after they donated- I gave 100 yen.
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Four legs move in unison.

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FourLegsMAN kicks back.
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Points to the bucket.
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Lurking. Looking for prey.
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Don’t look at his legs…
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The legs go back!

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He charges!!!

Oh no! They were too slow!

It’s over!

He drags his prey back onto his box. (Me).
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Chikurino- the man with FourLegs.

And of course, some video of FourLegsMAN entrancing then SWOOPING.

Heaven Artists – Four Legs Man from Michael John Grist on Vimeo.

FACTFILE

Location – Ueno Park.

Entry – Free.

Facts – 7 years a HA.

Highlights – He charges me! I’m too busy checking my camera settings though, so I barely notice, then just narrowly evade getting WHOMPED.

TOKYO

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