| Squid King | |
|---|---|
 Squid King in 2024 | |
 | |
| Year | 2021 |
| Medium | fibre-reinforced plastic |
| Subject | Japanese flying squid |
| Dimensions | 400 cm × 800 cm × 1300 cm (160 in × 310 in × 510 in) |
| Weight | 5 tonnes |
| Location | Noto, Ishikawa, Japan |
| Coordinates | 37°18′44″N137°13′48″E / 37.31222°N 137.23000°E /37.31222; 137.23000 |
Squid King (Japanese:イカキング,Hepburn:Ika Kingu) is a statue of aJapanese flying squid inNoto, Ishikawa, Japan. Designed to promote tourism and the town's fishing industry, the statue attracted widespread criticism as its construction had mostly been paid for with¥25,000,000 from the town'sCOVID-19 relief money. According to the town, the statue and resulting media coverage resulted in a boost to the town's tourism industry.
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TheSquid King is afibre-reinforced plastic lifelike statue[1] of a "giant"[2][1] pink and white[2]Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus).[3] The statue is 13 metres (43 ft) long,[2] 4 metres (13 ft) tall,[1] 9 metres (30 ft) wide,[4] and weighs around 5 tonnes (11,000 lb). It has long legs, "goggling eyes",[1] and there is a hole in the statue located where areal squid's mouth would be, to allow people to look out from inside the squid.[1][2]Squid King is located in front ofTsukumo Bay [ja][1] inNoto, Ishikawa's Noto Tsukumo Bay Tourism Exchange Center (のと九十九湾観光交流センター,Noto Tsukumo-wan Kankō Kōryu Sentā), also known as the Squid Station Mall (イカの駅つくモール,Ikan no Ekitsuku Mōru).[4] It was officially namedSquid King (イカキング,Ika Kingu) in June 2021 after a public contest; the town received 909 submissions for names. During the naming ceremony, the town installed a plaque by the statue.[5]Squid King has an officialX account.[3]
The statue's construction cost¥27,000,000, with 25 million coming fromCOVID-19 relief funds and grants given to Noto by the Japanese government and the rest coming from the town.[1][2] Noto had been given¥800,000,000 by the Japanese government to help it through the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] According to Noto town, theSquid King was designed to aid the town by promoting tourism[2] and the town's fishing industry.[4] The theme of the statue was chosen so tourists could eat squid at the local shops and be "eaten" by a giant squid themselves.[6] The town additionally planned to build a "shop, restaurant, tourist information center and exhibition corner", later the Noto Tsukumo Bay Tourism Exchange Centre, starringSquid King.[1] The mall itself cost¥520,000,000 to build.[7]
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Squid King was revealed to the public in April 2021[8] and met with widespread criticism because it had been constructed with COVID-19 relief funds.[7] Several residents felt that their money should have gone to healthcare workers or other causes more directly related to the COVID-19 virus.[2][1][9] The resulting controversy was covered in non-Japanese media such as theBBC andThe New York Times.[8] After a while it gained a following,[1] partially resulting from its international coverage.[3] According to theMainichi Shimbun, the statue had become "symbolic" of the town.[6] A study published by Noto township in 2022 said that the town's economy had experienced a¥604,000,000 boost from tourism and 45% of the 439 tourists they surveyed answered that they had come to Noto to seeSquid King.[4]
The statue survived the January2024 Noto earthquake and resulting tsunami with little to no damage.[10][3][7] In the immediate aftermath, theSquid King official Twitter account posted "I didn't return to the sea."[3] The statue's survival was seen by some residents, especially city officials, as a symbol of recovery and hope.[10][3][7] However, others were more indifferent.[7] Squid Station Mall, which was closed as a result of the earthquake, re-opened in April.[11] In October 2024, the town madeSquid King the honourary chairman of their Junior Police Officer program (少年補導員), as part of a move to educate the children of Noto about crime prevention.[12]
Media related toNoto Tsukumo Bay Tourism Exchange Center at Wikimedia Commons