Statues of Tora-san and Sakura at the station square
【© Shochiku Co., Ltd.】
These bronze statues depict Tora-san setting off on a journey and Sakura seeing him off.
The Tora-san statue at the entrance of the Tora-san Museum is popular among many people because the right sandal has fallen to the ground , while the left sandal has not. This depiction is believed to bring good luck by touching the left foot of the statue to ensure you do not "fall off."
The Sakura statue has the characters "さくら" on her left foot and the first character of Chieko Baisho's (the actress who played Sakura) name, "ち," on her right foot. Touching the two first characters spells "sachi" (happiness), which is believed to bring good fortune.
