A town in Japan took hundreds of thousands of dollars they got in COVID-19 relief funds to build a giant squid statue.
The coastal town of Noto reportedly used the U.S. equivalent of nearly $230,000 to build a massive pink statue with money that had previously been marked for pandemic relief, the New York Post reported in a piece published Tuesday.
This town used its $228K in COVID relief funds on a giant squid statue https://t.co/7A6OoMoudL pic.twitter.com/LVo29yzPjR
— New York Post (@nypost) May 4, 2021
Officials in the Ishikawa town justified their investment of the huge cephalopod, which measures more than 42-feet-long, 29.5-feet-wide and 13-feet high, as being able to bring in much-needed tourism to the cash-strapped fishing town, Kotaku reported. (RELATED: Giant Alligator And Cow Cause Traffic Jams In Houston)
The town is known for its squid and the idea was to use the coronavirus funds to build something that will entice tourists to come to the area and spend money.
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However, some have criticized the use of the funds in this matter, BBC reported. The outlet noted that people have suggested the money could have instead been used for “urgent support” like medical staff and long-term care facilities as the country deals with another surge in the coronavirus pandemic. (RELATED: Dinosaur Skeleton Sells For $3.5 Million)