Osaka's iconic giant pufferfish may disappear due to COVID-19

Jun 13, 2020 | News On Japan

Jun 13, 2020 (soranews24.com) - Cases of COVID-19 appear to be persistent but relatively under control in Japan. However, the social and economic knock-on effects of the pandemic are only just beginning to reveal themselves.

People in tiger suitsâ€™ livelihoods are becoming threatened, non-Mario-kart attractions are struggling to stay afloat, and some people have gone months without setting foot on public transportation, to name but a few.

Now, it looks as if the landscape of Osakaâ€™s Shinsekai and Dotonbori areas may become a lot bleaker with the announced closing of Zuboraya restaurants in each area. Some readers may not know this restaurant, which specializes in fugu by name, but will probably recognize its giant pufferfish lanterns that hang in front.

Osaka has long embraced all which is gaudy, and in the ecosystem of ostentatiousness the Zuboraya fugu lantern stands proudly at the top of the food chain, jutting far out from its storefront in bold defiance of the mere concept of zoning by-laws.

Itâ€™s been used countless times as an establishing shot for Osaka in movies, television, and video games. In fact, simply Google Image searching Osaka (å¤§é˜ª) will bring back more than a few photographs of the iconic fish.

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