Travel Gokiburiten cockroach statue draws tourists to Nara village

Rinsenji Temple (林泉寺) in rural Kamikitayama has become an unlikely tourist attraction thanks to a giant bronze cockroach statue known as Gokiburiten (護鬼佛理天). The 170-centimetre figure depicts a human-like cockroach with muscular arms and a sumo-wrestler stance. Installed more than 25 years ago, the statue was created as a memorial for pests. Today, however, the unusual "cockroach deity" is drawing curious visitors from across Japan and overseas. The bizarre statue has also attracted growing attention online, bringing unexpected publicity to the small mountain village at a time when many rural communities are struggling with depopulation.

Its creator, sculptor Amano Hiroo, 72, from Mizunami in Gifu Prefecture, said he wanted to challenge expectations of how such a creature might be represented. "I wanted to create a powerful-looking cockroach," Amano said. He drew inspiration from the dramatic "mie" poses of Kabuki, as well as the ritualistic energy of sumo wrestling's ring-entering ceremonies. The result is a figure frozen in a theatrical stance, more symbolic than realistic. Amano also embedded a miniature human city within the statue's abdomen, a detail he said reflected a reversal of perspective. "When creating this memorial statue, I decided to reverse the roles and depict humans as parasitic on the cockroach," he said.

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Groups of young visitors now regularly travel to the village to see the unusual statue. Foreign tourists have also started visiting the remote area, including travellers from China and Poland, turning the giant cockroach figure into an unexpected cultural curiosity. For residents, the sudden attention has come as a surprise. At the same time, some say it has created a new sense of connection between the shrinking mountain community and visitors from outside the region.


For those contemplating a visit, it's here:

I used to mention this species of cockroach in my lectures about nerve action potentials because they possess a 'giant axon' motoneurone cell that can be seen with the naked eye and, more importantly have tiny glass electrodes inserted into it for 'voltage clamping' experiments. The giant axon of the squid was originally used by Hodgkin & Katz as it's easier to dissect out of the soft bodied creature.

Giant axons conduct action potential very quickly and allow the animal to jet/scuttle away quickly!

Well, there's this...

Separately, and long, long ago in a universe far, far, away, I once saw this, in person. I was in military training on a base not all that far (hour?), and this was one of the things to see. Which says a lot about southern Alabama.

Boll weevil monument, Enterprise AL.