bronze statue of Tsubasa Ozora, the main character of the popular soccer manga series “Captain Tsubasa,” has been set up in front of the main gate of Minami Katsushika High School in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.
The metropolitan school is the alma mater of Yoichi Takahashi, the author of the series. The bronze statue, which cost about ¥13 million, was made by the ward government to coincide with the completion of a new school building there.
The bronze statue depicts a scene from the manga in which Tsubasa and Taro Misaki, Tsubasa’s teammate, simultaneously take a shot with the same ball. But there is no Misaki statue — meaning visitors can put themselves in his boots to reenact one of the most famous moment of the manga.
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As a place associated with the “Captain Tsubasa,” the Katsushika ward government has been setting up bronze statues of characters from the soccer series at parks and other locations since 2013. The latest is the ninth statue.
At an unveiling ceremony held on March 18, Katsushika Ward Mayor Katsunori Aoki said: “Captain Tsubasa has become popular across the world. I hope fans will visit Katsushika and deepen their attachment to the series.”
“I’m grateful for this statue, with its dynamic pose,” Takahashi said at the ceremony. “I hope fans will stroll around Katsushika to visit other statues and enjoy the town, which is filled with the warmth and kindness of the local people,” he added.
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