Dragon statue unveiled in Kochi Pref. town
15:42 JST, July 23, 2022
KOCHI — A statue of a dragon character from “Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime” (Belle) was unveiled Friday in Ochi, Kochi Prefecture, where the animated film is set.
Director Mamoru Hosoda’s movie features several places in the prefecture, including the Niyodo River, which runs through the town. The Aso Submersible Bridge, which spans the river, also appears in the story on the route the main character Suzu (Belle) takes to school, and it has become a popular place to visit for the animation’s fans.
The dragon character’s piercing eyes, sharp fangs and cape have been elaborately rendered in this about 2-meter-high and 2.6-meter-wide statue. Originally created by figurine maker Kaiyodo Co., the statue was later purchased by the Ochi town government for about ¥5.5 million.
“The statue captures the dragon’s features very well and was made with passion,” said Hosoda, who attended the unveiling ceremony at the Yokogurayama Natural Forest Museum. “I’m sure children will have a good time with it, taking pictures with it and getting inside the cape.”
As to why he chose the town as the film’s setting, the director said, “The beauty of Niyodo River harmonizes with the lives of the people living in the area. I imagined that Suzu must have lived here as well.”
The statue will be on permanent display on the museum’s third floor along with panels that compare some of the area’s locations to how they are depicted in the movie.
"Culture" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Yoasobi To Be Invited to White House Dinner During Kishida’s State Visit; Kishida To Gift Wajima Lacquerware to U.S. President Biden
-
‘Oppenheimer’ Finally Premieres in Japan to Mixed Reactions and High Emotions
-
Manga “My Hero Academia” Surpasses 100 Million Copies in Print
-
Old Friend Breathes New Life into KyoAni Arson Victim’s Picture Book; Japan’s Veteran Voice Actors, Animators Create Anime Film
-
Yoasobi Shows ‘Strong and Unrivaled’ Presence in Music Scene; Puts Unique Origins to Good Use
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Japan Lags in Efforts to Gain Value from Human Resources; Govt Working to Increase Usage
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start
- Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Appears in School Textbook; Publisher Considers Replacing Content
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers