A bizarre, completely decontextualized statue of Sonic the Hedgehog riding a snowboard in the Japanese countryside has been completely restored, by forces just as unknown as those who placed it there in the first place.
It’s the kind of chuckle-inducing news development perfectly suited to memes, Japanese pop culture, and Sonic the Hedgehog himself. In 2015, some motorcycling YouTubers happened upon the larger-than-life statue, which is located in the hill country of the Mie, about 90 minutes east of Osaka. The statue has no marking, plaque or explanation for what Sonic is doing and why he is there. Subsequent internet crash revealed that someone had found and photographed the statue until 2009.
The Sonic statue became a sort of ironic pilgrimage site, despite its diminished state. Sometime between 2009 and 2015, Sonic’s nose was burned off, and more than a decade of mountain water doubled its finish, leaving mud and dirt all over its luxurious blue moon.
No more! Ta-daaaaa!
(Translated as “Sonic in Takao, Iga City, has become beautiful !!”)
See for yourself here:
We picked a Sega representative to ask if they would like to take responsibility for buffing Sonic on a satin finish, plus giving his beak back. That said, we are not sure if the person we contacted knows all about this, much less if their company was involved. That it may take a while before we hear back.
Meanwhile, here’s another video to read. TheGamingBeaver returned in February for an extensive, personal exploration of the Sonic sanctuary of snowboarding. The renewed interest in the statue may have led to the efforts of the mysterious benefactors.
Update: TheGamingBeaver, in the video above, found a report from a Japanese TV station just as interesting about the origin of the statue. Apparently the statue originated from SegaWorld, and was sold at auction after it was renovated. The buyer lives a dirt road behind the statue, and the report says he placed it there as a landmark to direct guests to its driveway. Still no idea if the owner, a Mr. Kadeo, sitting behind the restoration, or if some other larger (marketing?) Force played a role.
