by Nicholas Amrit Rajalal
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago official website in November 2020 for their JET Programme series. Here is the original link to the article.
Attack on Titans is an extremely popular Manga series written by Hajime Isayama. In the Manga the Humans live inside huge walls to protect them from the man-eating titans that roam outside. Isayama’s hometown is in Hita, Oita prefecture. To promote Hita city as a hub for fans of the popular series, three statues of the manga’s main characters were erected at the towering Oyama Dam here in Oita Prefecture.
The statues were built using money donated via a crowdfunding campaign and the author Isayama who was present at the unveiling said that this moment represented the moment that the children Eren, Mikasa and Armin looked up and saw the titan then realizing that they could not be kids anymore.
The three statues of the childhood friends have shocked and frightened expressions while they stare up from the base of the Dam. If you use your smartphone at the site to download the “Attack on titan Hita” app, you can use it to see the titan appear on your screen at the top of the Dam. If you are a fan of the Attack on Titan Series, then you need to visit Hita in Oita Prefecture. Along with these statues there is now a statue of fan favorite Levi at the Hita train station and you can also use the app to see the founding titan, the female titan and the colossus titan fighting with the founding titan at various areas around Hita city.
Asian Pacific Islander AJET 