Goth cops!

If there’s one benefit to this excruciatingly long summer weather in Japan, it’s that people have a wider window to take summer vacations in. That’s just what our writer Saya Togashi did and headed down to the tropical shores of Miyakojima, a city consisting of a group of islands to the south of Okinawa Island.

The weather was constantly drizzly, but still warmer than the rest of Japan, with the autumn leaves just starting to kick in. The way the browning leaves looked against the rest of the tropical vegetation was very exotic and made for some nice driving scenery.

It was just too bad that Saya decided to splurge on a convertible as her rental car in this wet weather. Just as she was calculating how much cheaper a basic compact would have been, a man appeared that would change her life…

Japan is well known for its regional mascots, and they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, from soft and cuddly bears to super-powered crime fighters. But this truly was a mascot like no other. His skin was as white as a pearl, and his lips were a shade of a crimson so deep light could barely escape it.

▼ “Love… Love will tear us apart, again…”

Thinking this enigmatic figure was just a fluke, Saya continued on her drive, only to come across the same figure. She started to wonder if this was some sort of Outer Limits or Blair Witch situation where even driving straight would lead her on an infinite loop of terror.

This statue was a little different, though. His pupils weren’t quite as dilated, and he seemed to have a little more confidence in his gaze, possibly due to his poutier and rosier lips than his colleague. Driving a little more, she found other ones too.

▼ “You there, stop… or don’t… What does it matter if we all die in the end, anyway?”

There seemed to be several of these figures, such as this one which exuded a feeling of both constant alert and utter hopelessness, as if he really had to use the restroom but then saw how long the line for it was.

The first one Saya saw had “kotsuanzen taisakuzumi,” or “taking traffic safety precautions,” written on it. It wasn’t until later that she learned “zumi” was also a regional dialect meaning “awesome” or “the best.”

Puzzled, Saya decided to ask a local about the statues and found out they’re of  a famous island character named Mamoru Miyakojima. She also learned that these statues were quite popular around the island. Multiple souvenir shops had a range of items for sale bearing his likeness. Snacks, alcoholic beverages, key chains, accessories, stationery, and clothing all Mamoru’s uniquely inhuman-yet-all-too-human face.

The locals told Saya that the original Mamoru Miyakojima stood right outside the Miyakojima Police Department building. She never expected to be sightseeing at a police station, and yet here she was, staring at both Mamoru and his kid sister, Maruko Miyakojima.

Maruko seemed to emit an air of confidence more than her brother. Her gaze was steadfast and true.

▼  “It’s Friday, I’m in love…”

Both Mamoru and Maruko were given resident registration cards, making them full citizens of Miyakojima. Saya was impressed until learning that anyone can get one for 200 yen (US$1.30).

Apparently, there are several members of the Miyakojima police family around the island, including Susumu, Koji, Hitoshi, and Masao. They’ve been around for a while, dating back to the ’90s, and some people even visit the island with a personal mission to find them all.

▼ Mamoru also has his own theme song.

Saya is an avid collector in her spare time, and this kind of thing was right up her alley. She wasted no time picking up some Mamoru Miyakojima memorabilia, including snacks and figures.

Although she was creeped out by these statues at first, their collectability appealed to the Zeigarnik effect in her, and she grew to like them. She gradually found their painfully contemplative expressions to be charming reflections of our own insecurities and ennui.

In addition to some fridge magnets and figures, she bought a bag of Mamoru Miyakojima nuts. She expected them to be salty and good with beer, but found out later they were sweet and decided that she might as well go for a soda. That should have been expected from a traffic safety mascot.

It’s hard for Saya to say Mamoru and his kinfolk are worth the trip to Miyakojima all by themselves, but if you make the journey to enjoy the pristine beaches, only to find them rained out, they do make for an intriguing distraction.

Photos © SoraNews24
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