‘Hop, Step, Hop, Step’

Shinjuku-sanchōme station is a busy metro hub in the heart of Shinjuku City, if not nearly as busy as Shinjuku Station proper. But it would be a waste to just alight the train and follow the crowd into the city, as you might miss an interesting piece of art or two along the way.

A stained-glass mural adorning the metro station, copperplate artist Yoko Yamamoto's 2008 work "Hop, Step, Hop, Step" is inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It does not, however, feature the famous Alice, but the White Rabbit — a lot of him, in fact. The whole 6.5-foot-long mural depicts the White Rabbit hurrying on, hopping and stepping, in a dozen motions through a vivid landscape. According to the creator, the White Rabbit symbolizes an entrance into a fun world on a sort of higher plane, guiding people away from quotidian time. 

At the same station, there is also a mosaic mural by the same artist depicting the Mad Tea Party, featuring the Hatter, the March Hare, and, of course, Alice herself, and depicting the long table as a kind of world of its own. This one is probably more eye-catching, but the White Rabbit mural is also worth checking out if you're not running late.