'Capt. Tsubasa' manga character statues erected

Seven new bronze statues of characters from “Captain Tsubasa,” a popular soccer manga and TV animation series, have been erected in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.

Home to Yoichi Takahashi, the series’ creator, the ward installed a life-size statue of Tsubasa Ozora, the main character, in March 2013. The first Tsubasa statue was erected in a local park.

This time, another statue of Tsubasa, together with six more characters from the manga, were added, including Tsubasa’s teammate, Taro Misaki, and rival, Kojiro Hyuga.

The statues have been installed in a shopping arcade and other places.

Except for the 150-cm-tall Taro Misaki, the other six statues stand 70 cm tall. All of the works, cast in bronze, were created by a metalsmith in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, capturing scenes of players running after a soccer ball.

“The captain must be happy to have his teammates around,” Takahashi said at a ceremony held Sunday. “I wish to see more players from the team.”

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