Aso unveils statue of Kochikame cop

Written by changthai11 on Sunday, November 9th, 2008

Aso unveils statue of Kochikame cop

Prime Minister Taro Aso on Saturday attended the unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue of a popular cartoon character in a shopping street in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.

The character is police officer Kankichi Ryotsu from “Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Hashutsujo” (This is the Police Station in Front of Kameari Park, Katsushika Ward), or affectionally known as “Kochikame.” The statue depicts the character as a child.

The manga by Osamu Akimoto has been in continuous publication since 1976. It is set in the Kameari district in the ward where the bronze statue has been erected.

The statue was set up by the local shopping district to attract customers.

“I read it every week,” Aso, known as a big fan of manga, said of “Kochikame.”

“If I don’t laugh when reading it, it makes me think ‘Maybe I’m tired.’ It’s like a barometer of my health,” he added, drawing laughter from others attending the ceremony.

“It’s a great idea to create a stream of people [coming here] to see the bronze statue,” Aso said. “The government is ready to support those with motivation and ideas.”

After the ceremony, Aso strolled down the shopping street, visiting a shop that sells sweets with faces of manga characters where he asked how business was going. (Nov. 9, 2008)