Then and Now (Photos) The Statue of Toyoma Kyuzo

Here is the statue of Toyama Kyuzo at it appears today.

He was the man who convinced some of the first Okinawans to emigrate to Hawaii.

That was way back in 1899.

The good folks who put together this photographic history of Namisato, in Kin

(where the statue stands) gave me consent to use their photos for my Then and Now series.

The book is titled: Namisato-ku Rekishi Shashinshu

by Namisato-Kujimusho.

We are looking at page 335.  The photo at the top is dated 1931.

On the lower photo, the date is 1935.

In this photo, from page 280, dated 1944, the statue is missing from the pedestal.

Here is the same photo enlarged, a bit, so you can see, the statue was gone in 1944.

That was a year before the Battle of Okinawa.

In 1931 the statue of Toyoma had his hand on top of the globe.

The Toyoma statue of today, has his hand below the globe.

What happened to the original Toyoma Kyuzo statue ?

Why is there a difference between the statues of then and now ?

MYSTERY 

More on the Statue of Toyoma Kyuzo


SEE ALL THE PHOTOS IN THIS SERIES AT: THEN AND NOW

Photo of the Week: This Ain't Exactly Arizona

Here's a shot made while out looking for a scene to photograph for the Then and Now Series.

If I'd have cropped out some of the beach in the lower right corner I could probably trick someone into thinking I was in New Mexico or somewhere like that.

There's something different about the way those rocks were formed and I wish I knew a geologist or, whatever they call those rock scientists. 

They could go along with me and see if they can figure out what makes the place look so strange.

All I can tell you about the place right now is, it's in Okinawa, Japan.

And this ain't exactly Arizona.