Moyai statue

The statues, which were created to promote awareness of Niijima, are themed and modeled after the moai of Easter Island.

Moyai statues are created in Niijima, a village which is administratively part of Tokyo but located far from the city proper, in the Izu Islands.

They were conceived in 1978 by Yuichi Daigo, a local artisan and tourism director who aimed to raise awareness of the village.

They are inspired by moai, megalithic statues built by the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.

On holidays it is crowded in the late afternoon, though due to a greater number of passersby in the adjacent intersection Hachikō tends to be more busy and the moyai comparatively quiet.

The statue was designed by Oogo Tomoichi, a kokeshi maker and director of Niijima's tourism association.

In the patch of grass beneath the statue, there is a nameplate inscribed with the unveiling date along with the word moyai".

[6] The Shibuya moyai bears a passing resemblance to Easter Island moai, though it has many novel features: for example, it lacks a torso and has a head of wavy hair.

In 1998, this unused statue was put up for raffle by the comedian George Tokoro, featuring it in his television program [ja].

The statue became a popular landmark in the area, though its future remains uncertain following the enclosing attraction's closure in 2020.

In the Greater Tokyo Area, aside from the previously listed statues at Shibuya and Kamata, they may be found at New Pier Takeshiba [ja] and Odaiba.

[15] Notwithstanding its intended purpose, the emoji is commonly used in Internet culture as a meme to represent a deadpan expression or used to convey that something is being said in a particularly sarcastic fashion.