Osaka tries to find out who dressed statues
The Japan Times
Aug. 9, 2011
Osaka “” Sculptures adorning the sidewalks along Osaka’s Midosuji street were found clad in red one morning in July, sparking speculation as to who did it and why.
Osaka City Hall received dozens of phone calls, including some from the Tokyo metropolitan area, a city official said. One caller even half-jokingly criticized the city after staff removed the colorful attire, saying, “You guys don’t understand a joke.”
The mystery also took a twist after footage from a security video was released that purportedly showed the person who may have decorated the figures, which include works by such artists as Kotaro Takamura and Auguste Rodin.
The city was first alerted to the gag around 9 a.m. on July 25. On a roughly 1 km stretch of Midosuji, starting just across the river from City Hall, 19 sculptures were found to have been dressed in red.
Whoever carried out the deed apparently bought the costumes in a shop and then dyed them. Some also had color-coordinated belts around their waists. A 39-year-old man who saw some of the statues said, “They matched perfectly!” Continue reading “Mysterious Fashionista Hits Osaka”