A town in Japan spent Covid relief funds on a giant squid statue.
A $230,000 statue is part of an effort to revive tourism in the fishing town of Noto. Critics call it a waste of money as Japan struggles to contain a new outbreak.
A coastal town in Japan has provoked debate after spending nearly $230,000 in federal Covid-19 relief money on a 43-foot statue of a flying squid.
Noto, a fishing town where the squid is a delicacy, erected the statue in March in a bid to promote tourism after the pandemic subsides. The five-and-a-half-ton pink sea creature sits outside a squid-themed restaurant and tourist center.
What a waste of money by the Japanese, who were trying to attract visitors. They should have spent it on climate justice. “House Democrats’ COVID-19 relief package unveiled last night includes $100 million for EPA to address “health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic.”