Our neighbor to the north, Kitakyushu, needed a mascot. Eschewing the “kawaii” route, they’ve created monster called “Kaisendon (海鮮丼),“ named after a local dish, a rice bowl topped with sashimi; the monster is apparently a crab-octopus-fugu hybrid both as terrifying and kinda delicious-looking as it sounds. Shirogumi, the special effects company responsible for the recent film “Shin Godzilla” (“Godzilla Resurgence” in English), was hired to produce an ad in which (spoiler alert!) Kaisendon is toppled by the swift tidal flow of the Kanmon Straits.
Time will tell whether touting your town as safe from a horrifying monster due to a more horrifying current (no swimming, kids!) is effective in attracting tourists. In the meantime, I’d love to see an equally tall Kumamon take him on. Sequel? - William
