Tokushima: Prototype of Peeing Boy Statue Donated
17:02 JST, December 23, 2023
MIYOSHI, Tokushima — The Peeing Boy Statue, a tourist attraction standing on a 200-meter-high cliff in Miyoshi, Tokushima Prefecture, was made from a plaster prototype which has now been donated to the city government by its creator.
The 1-meter-tall statue, standing on a protruding rock that extends into the Iya Valley, is a popular photo spot.
According to the city government and other sources, local children are said to have tested their courage by standing on the cliff in old times. The concept inspired the then vice governor of Tokushima to ask sculptor Ryoko Kawasaki to create a statue, with the hope of turning this place into a new tourist attraction.
Kawasaki initially crafted the prototype from plaster, using his 4-year-old son as a model. The bronze statue, based on the prototype, was installed at the cliff site in 1968.
Kawasaki, now 88, kept the prototype plaster statue in his atelier. Knowing that, Miyoshi Mayor Miho Takai, a friend of the sculptor for two decades, asked him to donate it to the city.
The city government plans to showcase the prototype statue at its new government building, which is set to be completed in September next year.
“I hope it’ll help more people get interested in [the Peeing Boy] Statue in the Iya Valley,” Kawasaki said.
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Famous Weeping Cherry Tree in Full Blossom in Fukushima Pref. Town
-
Traditional Japanese Knife Store in Tokyo’s Ningyocho District Dates to Edo Period
-
Tokyo Station’s Reconstructed Domes Bring Back Prestigious Tradition; Station Building Hotel Loved by Literary Giants
-
Mysterious Charm of Eye-Catching General Store Draws People In; Said to Have Several Thousand Items
-
Kagawa: Video of 3 Dolphins Picking Up Garbage Goes Viral; Staff Trained Them to Exchange Trash for Food
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’