It is no exaggeration to say that Yayoi Kusama's work is a symbol of Naoshima and of art in the Seto Inland Sea.
The yellow Pumpkin was created and installed in 1994 for the outdoor exhibition "Open Air '94 "Out of Bounds" - Contemporary Art in the Seascape," which installed works in the surrounding natural environment. At 2 meters high and 2.5 meters wide, it was one of the largest pumpkin sculptures created up to that time.
In August 2021, footage of the pumpkin being swept away by waves during a typhoon went viral around the world, causing a major stir both in Japan and overseas.