Fukui: Dinosaur statues dressed up as ‘Santa Claus’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:12 JST, December 25, 2022

FUKUI — Three dinosaur statues in front of JR Fukui Station are wearing “Santa Claus” costumes through Dec. 25.

Dinosaurs are a key feature of Fukui Prefecture, and the prefectural government planned the dinosaur statue cosplay of in front of the station to make them more Instagrammable before the Hokuriku Shinkansen extends to Fukui Prefecture. The bullet train services, which have now reached Kanazawa, are scheduled to be extended to Tsuruga in spring 2024.

The three statues are modeled on the Fukuititan, Fukuisaurs and Fukuiraptor dinosaurs, which are all named after the prefecture because it was there that their fossils were excavated.

Some people stopped to look at the statues wearing the red and white Christmas costumes and took photos.

“Dinosaurs look scary, but the Santa Claus dinosaurs are cute,” said a 5-year-old girl.