In 2018, COIN PARKING DELIVERY, a new-generation masked artist, began creating art using a smartphone and drawing with their finger. Their style, which incorporates questions and ideals unique to our current era, led by the iconic "Shirai-san," is highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally, particularly among Gen Z. Currently, their field of activity extends beyond digital creations to include sculptures, spatial installations, drawings, public art (such as "This is SHIRAI" in Tennozu Isle, Tokyo), character design for the popular TBS program "SASUKE," and art direction for the fashion magazine "ViVi" (February 2024 issue).
To commemorate the release of BE@RBRICK in collaboration with "Sesame Street," whose art exhibition was also a great success in 2021, we interviewed COIN PARKING DELIVERY about their creative intentions, artists they resonate with, and their future aspirations.

— Please tell us about what inspired you to start your creative activities.

COIN PARKING DELIVERY (hereinafter, CPD)I started creating art because I thought not many people were drawing with their fingers on smartphones.

At the time, I didn't want to work part-time, so I started creating art to sell as apparel instead of taking on a part-time job. However, as the scale of my work grew, I decided to set a more defined goal.

Looking at society today, I feel it's a world with little novelty and emotion, where everything is consumed through smartphones, giving us a sense of accomplishment and completion.

I feared that this world, which in a way lacks color, would become the norm for the next generation. To change this, I set a goal of creating an amusement park.

— When you first started your activities, what were your thoughts on the existing art scene?

CPDI thought it was a perfect system.
I found it very convincing that experimental actions and dissent within society hold value. I believe contemporary art might be the culmination of all the narratives that shape the world.

— Please tell us the origin of the name COIN PARKING DELIVERY and the reason you wear a mask when appearing in public.

CPDI liked words starting with 'C.' I combined existing words, paying attention to the 'sequence,' 'intonation,' and 'rhythm.' I was also a big fan of graffiti artists, who use short names to escape quickly after tagging public spaces. Since I considered myself a digital writer, I didn't need to escape, and my time felt infinite, so I chose a very long name.

The essence of graffiti writers is to express their claims on structures while unseen. I consider social media as a city, and I wanted to draw directly in that city. So, I acted as a digital writer by taking screenshots of photos on social media and drawing over them.

Regarding wearing a mask, there are already so many pieces of content in the world, and our brains have a limit to the information they can process daily. If, in addition to the information from my work and content, personal information like my face were included, it would dilute my intended message. Therefore, I choose not to show my face.

— Tell us about the character "Shirai-san."

CPDFirst, I felt an iconic character was absolutely necessary. Second, I like the word "now." When I looked around at the world, I realized there was no "thing" or "being" that truly represented "now." Thus, the character Shirai-san was born, combining the "dinosaur" symbolizing the "past" and the "alien" symbolizing the "future" to express "now."

— How did the distinctive blue hue come about?

CPDThere are three reasons. First, my grandfather's favorite color was blue. Second, my birthstone is sapphire, so I've always liked it. Third, when I was a goodwill ambassador for Saipan, there was a cave called the "Blue Grotto" that had few fish. Diving there revealed a profound, almost frightening, expanse of blue.

However, reflecting on it, I realized how remarkable blue is, capable of evoking both fear and affection. This led me to decide to create using the color blue.

— Please tell us about your creative environment from the beginning of your career to the present.

CPDInitially, I used a sketch app on Xperia, then moved to iPhone and different apps. Now, due to data capacity limitations on phones, I create on an iPad. However, I still draw images for social media uploads on my smartphone.

— You also create public art. Were you always interested in three-dimensional forms?

CPDI was always more interested in three-dimensional objects than in painting.

You can't create three-dimensional forms on a screen. Even when trying to perceive depth from a screen, you can't grasp it without looking at the object itself. I find this limited viewing environment quite comfortable.

— You've also undertaken numerous collaborations with companies. Could you tell us about any that particularly stand out?

CPDWhile I'd like to pick one, honestly, it's all of them.

Each collaboration holds a unique story, making it impossible to choose just one. I can't recall any collaboration that wasn't memorable. It's almost uncanny how I've had the chance to work with brands I'm genuinely interested in.

— Are there any specific considerations you keep in mind during collaborations?

CPDI believe that if content cannot be enjoyed even by one person, it cannot move anyone. Therefore, the most important thing is that I find it interesting myself.

— The collaboration with Elmo from "Sesame Street" has garnered attention. How did this come about?

CPDI have a series of works called "OSANAME," which translates to "childhood gaze" in ancient Japanese, referring to what one saw in childhood. This connects to the theme of a world without color. The shopping street where I grew up used to be vibrant but has since faded with time, becoming a "shutter street," which I found regrettable.

This shutter street is located along National Route 123. I realized that "Sesame Street," a world full of diversity, also has "123rd Street." The shared "123" in our respective worlds sparked the idea to enter 123rd Street with Elmo as a parallel world, and thus the project began.

— What were your impressions of Medicom Toy and BE@RBRICK?

CPDI had been buying BE@RBRICKs for a long time, so I was incredibly happy when this project came about.

— What kind of discussions did you have with Medicom Toy regarding the "Shirai-san" and "Elmo" BE@RBRICKs being released this time?

CPDFollowing the art exhibition in 2021, this project came to fruition. In 2021, I depicted a story where Elmo and friends came into our world.

This time, the theme was Shirai-san entering the world of Sesame Street, making the crossover of our worlds a crucial element.

Therefore, the Elmo CPD version's body is composed with the glossiness and plumpness of Shirai-san, while the Shirai-san Sesame Street version's body is made with Elmo's fluffy texture.

— Please share your thoughts on the completed BE@RBRICKs.

CPDThey are perfect. Absolutely wonderful. I'm deeply moved that I was able to realize the package design in a way I had always envisioned.

— Is there anything you would like to do with Medicom Toy in the future?

CPDI'm open to anything. But if I had to choose, I'd like to work on moving toys. After all, moving toys are essential for building an amusement park.

— Are there any artists from your generation you find interesting or would like to collaborate with?

CPDMakoto Hasegawa from the dance and vocal group THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE. We are good friends in private, and although we are in different industries, we both independently think about and act on what we want to do. We push each other to not be surpassed by our present selves, which inspires me daily.

— Finally, beyond Medicom Toy, what are your future aspirations and goals?

CPDWhile I still aspire to build an amusement park, my more immediate goal is to design entire spaces like streets, parks, and commercial facilities.
I want to consider how to design spaces to encourage people to linger and create flow.

BE@RBRICK COIN PARKING DELIVERY × SESAME STREET ELMO (CPD Ver.) & Shirai-san (SESAME STREET Ver.) 100％ & 400％ (Set of 4)
Size: Approx. 70mm / 280mm in height each
Release Date: Scheduled for release in December 2023 at 2G
Price: ¥32,780 (tax included)
*Limited quantity. Please forgive us if sold out.
TM and ©️ 2023 Sesame Workshop
©️CPD
BE@RBRICK TM & ©️ 2001-2023 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

BE@RBRICK COIN PARKING DELIVERY × SESAME STREET ELMO (CPD Ver.) 1000％
Size: Approx. 700mm in height each
Release Date: Scheduled for release in December 2023 at 2G
Price: ¥74,800 (tax included)
*Limited quantity. Please forgive us if sold out.
TM and ©️ 2023 Sesame Workshop
©️CPD
BE@RBRICK TM & ©️ 2001-2023 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

BE@RBRICK COIN PARKING DELIVERY × SESAME STREET Shirai-san (SESAME STREET Ver.) 1000％
Size: Approx. 700mm in height each
Release Date: Scheduled for release in December 2023 at 2G
Price: ¥74,800 (tax included)
*Limited quantity. Please forgive us if sold out.
TM and ©️ 2023 Sesame Workshop
©️CPD
BE@RBRICK TM & ©️ 2001-2023 MEDICOM TOY CORPORATION. All rights reserved.

2G TOKYO
Address: 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Shibuya PARCO 2F
Business Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
Please check the latest business hours on theShibuya PARCO website
Regular Holidays: Irregular
TEL: 03-6452-5003

2G OSAKA
Address: 1-8-3 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka Shinsaibashi PARCO 2F
Business Hours: 10:00 - 20:00
Please check the latest business hours on theShinsaibashi PARCO website
Regular Holidays: Irregular
TEL: 06-4256-3997