The joy of seeing the ad was a satisfying end to the mystery for many worldwide. In Japan itself, the media descended upon Takao and now ferreted out the reasonable explanation for the statue’s presence. When that branch of Sega World closed down, the park auctioned off whatever people could carry away. A homeowner named Mr. Kadeo bought the statue to serve as a landmark guiding visitors to his house from this otherwise featureless road.
If you yourself wanted to see the statue, the precise location remained the final mystery for a little longer. Most in the know agreed that revealing its coordinates would invite vandalism, and the statue already wasn’t doing so great. Its nose had broken off and its paint had faded—though, considering how long it had stood there exposed to the elements, you might expect it to be in even worse shape.
That secret too broke, and the location became truly public. As a result, new people did find the statue last year, they had their way with it, and you’ll never again be able to see it like in the photo at the top of the page. That’s because those new people … renovated the statue, repainting it, repairing damage, and even engaging in a little restorative rhinoplasty.