Statues in Tokyo

Discover 21 unusual statues in Tokyo.

Gold Bug Guardian Statue

Gold Bug Guardian Statue

Guarding the city of Chiyoda is a bizarre insectile creature with a name no one can pronounce.

Hideyo Noguchi Statue

Hideyo Noguchi Statue

This site commemorates the life of a Japanese scientist who dedicated his life to the discovery of diseases.

Kimi-Chan

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

The Basho Heritage Garden.

Basho Memorial Statue

Once the park closes at sunset, the greatest haiku poet of all time moves to face the Sumida River.

‘Tora-san and His Sister’

Life-sized statues of two characters from a decades-long Japanese film series stand outside Shibamata station.

Jan Joosten van Lodensteyn.

Jan Joosten Memorial

A commemoration of the first Dutchman to reach Japan, whose name still echoes in the heart of Tokyo.

"The starting point of the journey of <em>Oku no Hosomichi</em>."

The Site of Yatate Hajime

The site where the poet Matsuo Bashō read one of the first haiku that comprise his famous travelogue.

Moyai

Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.

Irugi Shrine

Irugi Shrine

A 17th-century Shinto shrine that is home to statues of Mickey Mouse and Pikachu.

The mother taking Twitter away from her son.

Heiwa no Chikai (Oath of Peace)

A statue meant to celebrate peace has also been interpreted as a mother taking away her son's internet privileges.

'Antinous as Vertumnus'

Unbeknownst to most passersby, this marble statue standing outside an office building is a genuine piece of second-century Rome.

The face of the Buddha.

Ueno Daibutsu

Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

Winged kirin statues.

Nihonbashi Kirin Statues

Mythical beasts symbolizing the city of Tokyo guard a historic bridge.

Locals sometimes give the kappa a cucumber, its favorite food.

Oiteke Bori

This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

Peeing boy waits for the Yamanote line in his rainy season wear.

Little Peeing Monk of Tokyo

This Japanese Manneken Pis gets new outfits for every occasion.

Gorilla Building

A King Kong-like gorilla hangs from the top of this commercial building in Tokyo.