Kochi: Historical Figure Statues Temporarily Removed from Front of Station for Protection against Typhoon

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:24 JST, September 21, 2024

KOCHI — Three statues of influential samurai from the mid-19th century were temporarily removed from the front of JR Kochi Station at the end of August due to the approach of Typhoon Shanshan, which passed over Shikoku.

A statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, who played a major role in a movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, was moved to a storage facility in Kochi on Aug. 28. Statues of Nakaoka Shintaro and Takechi Hanpeita, other influential figures in the anti-shogunate movement, were also transferred to the facility.

The statues, made of styrofoam, weigh approximately 400 kilograms each and are approximately 8.3 meters tall with their pedestals. They were lifted one by one with a crane before being placed on the back of a truck.

The Ryoma statue was moved through the streets of Kochi on the back of a truck as local residents looked on while taking pictures of the unusual sight.

It was the first time in five years for the statues to be moved due to an approaching typhoon. According to the Kochi Visitors and Convention Association, the statues will be kept in storage for some time due to the typhoon season and for maintenance. It has not yet been decided when they will return to their home at the front of the station.