Hyogo: Uroko House in Historic District Features Shohei Ohtani Figure on Roof; Figures of This Year

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:24 JST, December 8, 2024

KOBE — Uroko House in the Kitano Ijinkan-gai district of Kobe unveiled this year’s unique rooftop figures that adorn the roof the establishment.

The Kitano district and the surrounding area in the city thrived as a residential area for foreign workers after Kobe Port opened in the mid-19th century. The area is lined with Western-style houses thanks to its historic background. Uroko House is one such house in the district. Since 2009, it has displayed a Styrofoam Santa Claus and other figures based on the year’s much talked-about figures and subjects each year around Christmas time.

One of the figures unveiled on Nov. 20 was Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers star who became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season. Other figures that adorn the roof of the house include javelin thrower Haruka Kitaguchi and other athletes who performed well in the Paris Olympics, as well as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.