Odaiba Decks is currently hosting an exhibition of 20 astonishingly lifelike, full-scale wax replicas of famous people on loan from the world-famous Madame Tussauds collection.
Running until 4 January, the exhibit includes replicas of Michael Jackson in classic pose, Lady Gaga in an ultra-sexy, see-through body stocking, and Japanese stars such as violinist Taro Hakase, rock star Ryuichi Sakamoto and AKB48 stars.
“Each figure takes close to four months to make in our workshops in England”, said a spokesperson for Tussauds. “It costs about £150,000 to make one, and each figure involves a minimum of 150 measurements taken from the actual person”. Some 15 to 20 artisans carve, cast and colour the replicas and graft on hair. Since all the work is done by hand, it takes about four months to complete a single figure.
Tussauds, which has permanent exhibits in 13 cities around the world, may open a permanent display in Tokyo in 2013 should this event be a success.