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NOTO JAPAN INSTALL
LOCAL ATTRACTION DESPITE NEGATIVE COVERAGEĪs soon as the Noto town officials announced its plan to install a giant squid with the COVID-19 money, they were swept up in a flood of criticism from far and wide.įoreign news media, including the BBC and The New York Times, reported on the controversy.Ī town official said in frustration, “News media reported it as if we spent all of the COVID-19 relief funds on the squid.” There have been reports around the country that local governments spent the funds, called a local recreation emergency grant, on offbeat items such as “a bell to eliminate discrimination against COVID-19” and “illumination in front of a train station.” The town shouldered the rest of the costs, about 2 million yen.
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The town last year came up with a plan to build the statue near a facility that has a shop, restaurant, tourist information center and exhibition corner featuring the squid, hoping to boost its post-pandemic tourism economy.Īccording to town officials, 25 million yen ($229,400), or 90 percent of the construction costs, were paid for with COVID-19 relief funds from the central government. The town’s Ogi Port is a leading port for the catch of surumeika, a type of squid. Town officials said the statue’s concept is dog-eat-dog, or "squid-eat-squid." It is in the town of Noto, located near the tip of the Noto Peninsula, more than two hours by car from the prefectural capital, Kanazawa. The statue, made of fiber-reinforced plastic, was installed on the side of a prefectural road that runs along Tsukumo Bay, a popular spot for sightseeing and pleasure boats, in late March. The squid has goggling eyes and its legs stretch out long and far as if it is dancing and moving. The squid is a super life-like statue, 13 meters in length and four meters in height. Visitors take a picture of a giant squid statue in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, on April 9.