Gracing the shoreline in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, is a statue unique among the many in Japan that celebrate local legends or famous historical figures.
The statue, donated to the hot-spring town by the Rotary Club in 1986, portrays a pivotal scene from "Konjiki Yasha" ("The Golden Demon"), a famous story by Meiji Era author Ozaki Koyo (1868-1903).
In the story, a beautiful young woman named Miya tells her fiance, Kanichi, that she is breaking off their engagement so she can marry a banker's son who has wooed her with a big diamond ring. Enraged, Kanichi kicks Miya to the ground and vows to forsake humanity. Kanichi goes on to become a cold-hearted moneylender and Miya's marriage to the rich man does not go well.