"Momotaro, named for the popular Japanese folklore hero who is also often translated as "Peach Boy," was a gift from San Jose's oldest sister city, Okayama, Japan. The relationship between the cities was established in 1957, and the replica of the bronze statue that guards Okayama Station has stood in Guadalupe River Park near the Center for the Performing Arts since 1993. The statue depicts the boy and his dog, monkey and pheasant companions who go on a quest to defeat a band of ogres,"
"But sometime prior to Oct. 15, the work of art vanished, the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs announced in a Tuesday statement, asking the public to be on the lookout for the "important and beloved part of our community." Photos shared by the agency showed the boy's hollow shoes and the animals' feet were all that remained of the statue after it was apparently cut down and torn out."
"It's not the first time a piece of public art has been stolen from the South Bay city in recent years. In January of 2024, a sculpture worth $100,000 and weighing more than 600 pounds was pilfered from the parking lot of an art studio near San Jose Mineta International Airport, the Mercury News reported. A suspect was arrested after the work had already been sold for parts at a nearby scrap yard."
San Jose police are investigating the theft of a Momotaro bronze statue from Guadalupe River Park after it disappeared sometime before Oct. 15. The statue was a gift from Okayama, San Jose's oldest sister city, and had stood near the Center for the Performing Arts since 1993. Photos show the statue's hollow shoes and the animals' feet remained after the work was apparently cut down and torn out. Authorities asked the public to report information to the San Jose Police non-emergency line and referenced case number 25-288-0623. The city has experienced other recent public-art thefts, including a 2024 sculpture sold for parts and a 2023 park statue that was later recovered.
Read at SFGATE
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