Shawn TanWith the closure of Osaka fugu restaurant Zuboraya, the giant iconic puffer fish-shaped paper lantern that served as both a symbol for the Shinsekai main branch was taken down from the eatery by cranes in the early part of Sept. 3, Thursday.
The restaurant, in the city’s Naniwa Ward, will officially close down on Sept. 15. Due to reasons including that the lantern exceeded limits on how far out an item can project into the road from a building, the Osaka Municipal Government sought its removal, and it appears to have been taken down as part of preparations to close the business.
Workers used a crane truck to prize the hanging lantern, which measures 5 meters long, 3.5 meters high and 3 meters wide. It was then loaded onto the truck and transported to a warehouse in the city of Osaka.
A banner hung up at the entrance to the restaurant read, “Thank you for your love over these many years. Please take care of yourselves, everyone. Goodbye, and see you again!” A man in his 60s who manages a nearby izakaya Japanese pub said, “It was a symbol of Shinsekai, so it’s sad to see it go.”
Zuboraya had opened in 1920, with the puffer fish lantern in Osaka a firm tourist favourite.
While some citizens harboured hopes that the lantern would remain up, the puffer fish lantern in Osaka was said to have “violated city laws”, due to its girth and placement.
