November 30th is the anniversary of the death of manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Since this year marks the 100th anniversary of Mizuki's birth, a sand statue of a youkai character was unveiled at a shrine in Chofu City, Tokyo, which is related to Mizuki.
Manga artist Shigeru Mizuki lived in Chofu City, Tokyo for many years until his death in 2015 at the age of 93, and the city commemorates the weeks leading up to November 30, the anniversary of his death, as "Gegege Memorial Day."
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, sand statues of yokai characters were unveiled in the precincts of Fudaten Shrine in the city on the day of his death.
The sand statue is about 2 meters high and wide, and 7 tons of sand is used. Kitaro, Nezumi Otoko, and other monsters appearing in "Gegege no Kitaro" surround Mr. Mizuki.
In the manga, Kitaro lives in the forest behind this shrine, so fans took commemorative photos.
Mr. Toshihiko Hosaka, a sand artist who created it, said, "I worked to create a fun world of youkai that looks like it came out of the forest."
Mizuki's wife, Mura Nuue, said, "Kitaro's mouth is distorted, and everyone's expressions are wonderful. I think my husband is happy because he has a similar mood."
The sand statue will be on display in the shrine grounds until December 20th.