Manga monsters guard Sakaiminato

[Agent13]

Manga monsters guard Sakaiminato
By Miki Takashima
Daily Yomiuri <A HREF="http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20011027woc4.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20011027woc4.htm</A> <P>"About 10 years ago, Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, a city with a population of 38,000, transformed its nostalgic shopping arcade into a street dedicated to Gegege no Kitaro, a famous manga by Shigeru Mizuki, a native of the city. Today, the 800-meter street boasts dozens of bronze statues of loveable monsters from the manga that have converted the "virtually deserted arcade"--as the old district was referred to by locals -- into a popular sightseeing spot that welcomes 600,000 visitors each year."