Town of Noto in Ishikawa, Japan Uses S$330,000 of Govt’s Financial Aid to Build Giant Squid Statue

Government aid has been crucial to cushioning the financial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses have been snuffed out like candles and many people have lost their jobs as a result.

In many countries, the financial aid doled out by the government has been used to support both businesses and individuals affected by the pandemic, to tide them over until the crisis ends.

In Japan, however, one town decided to build a giant statue of a squid instead.

Town of Noto in Ishikawa, Japan Uses S$330,000 of Govt’s Financial Aid to Build Giant Squid Statue

The Japanese government has distributed 4.5 trillion yen (around S$55 billion) in financial support recently to help local governing bodies affected by the crisis.

These local governments can choose how to use this financial aid, according to Yahoo News Japan.

Some prefectures have reportedly used it to build up their area’s defences against COVID-19 and to give out subsidies to boost local businesses, among other things.

The town of Noto in the Ishikawa prefecture, however, went in a slightly different direction.

After receiving millions of yen from the emergency fund, Noto decided to use about 27 million yen (S$330,000) of it to build a statue.

Reader: A statue of an important leader? A statue of Haruki Murakami? Or a statue of the coronavirus to remind people of its dangers?

Nope, a squid.

Reader: A… squid?

Not just a squid. A giant squid.

The giant squid is 29.5 feet across, 13 feet high, and over 42 feet long, according to Kotaku.

So, why a squid?

Part of Long-Term Plan to Attract Tourists

Noto officials told local media that the construction of the giant squid was part of their long-term strategy to attract tourists once the pandemic dies down.

Noto is known for squid and the statue was apparently built to help promote Noto’s famous flying squid, which is the town’s delicacy.

The town reportedly received 800 million yen (S$9.78 million) in the national grants which were distributed to help regional areas deal with the economic effects of the pandemic.

As the individual in charge of the project pointed out, the funds did not have to be spent directly on COVID-19 relief.

Nevertheless, many have criticised the town’s administration for their decision to use the money to build the giant sea creature, saying the fund could have been used for medical staff or long-term care facilities instead.

Dealing With Second Wave

While Noto has had a very low number of COVID-19 cases, Japan is struggling to deal with its fourth wave of the pandemic.

5,897 cases were reported on 30 April, the highest daily tally since 19 January this year, when the country recorded 6,034 new infections.

Tokyo and other major areas are currently under a state of emergency, which the Japanese government is considering extending.

If this happens, it could cast doubt on the Summer Olympics which are scheduled to begin on 23 July.

But hey, we can visit a giant squid statue when it’s all over, so things could be worse.

Feature Image: YouTube (TheTonarinopoti)