Fukuoka: Minecraft-like ‘Pixel Tree’ Made Up of 2,000 Cubes Delights Visitors

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:55 JST, March 8, 2025

FUKUOKA — Gamers and passersby alike are delighted at an ongoing pixel art installation of a tree that looks like it is made of blocks from the popular video game “Minecraft.” The installation is in the Tenjin district of Fukuoka.

Minecraft is a popular game where players can build things by stacking blocks together.

The “Pixel Tree” is in front of a building complex being developed by Fukuoka-based Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. The complex is scheduled to open in April.

The 5.7-meter-high, 2.7-ton work was created by Leandro Erlich, a world-renowned contemporary artist from Argentina.

Made up of about 2,000 cubes that are either 7.5 centimeters or 15 centimeters long, the tree looks like it belongs in a pixelated virtual world.

Passersby took photos of the artwork with their smartphones, saying it looked like a Minecraft tree.

The cube leaves reflect the light to shine and stand out among the buildings.

From a distance, it looks like a typical roadside tree that has freshly green leaves, but when you get closer, the three-dimensional shape emerges, creating a sense of wonder.

Some people were surprised and moved by the work, which seemed to merge the real and virtual worlds.

There are plans to place benches in a circle around the tree, which is sure to make the tree a new meeting spot in Tenjin.