News Hideyoshi statue decapitated in Nagoya

A resident noticed on Saturday that the statue had lost its head and informed the shopping centre association. To prevent the damage from worsening, staff covered the exposed neck with duct tape, an association representative explained. The group, which sees the figure as a symbol of the arcade, is now considering whether to lodge a damage report with the police. The statue, made of reinforced plastic, is the latest in a series of targets. In 2022, a statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu was toppled, leaving a gaping hole in its back, and in 2019, a statue of Oda Nobunaga was discovered to be missing an arm. The Toyotomi Hideyoshi statue, placed on a pedestal, had also been damaged once before but was repaired. All three figures were gifts to the arcade in 2013.

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The statue is made of reinforced plastic and was donated in 2013 to the Endoji Shopping Street in Nishi Ward, Nagoya, by a man in the real estate leasing business. The man confirmed that the head had been broken off after receiving a report of the damage on 25 August. Checks of surveillance camera footage and other evidence revealed the possibility that an Ehime prefectural police officer who visited Nagoya for a business trip may have been involved. Another individual may also have been involved, and police are investigating thoroughly.

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