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Tokushima Shrine Halts Art Unveiling Due to Alleged Use of Toriko Character
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
A shrine for honoring the war dead in Saika, Tokushima canceled its December 26 unveiling of a giant ema (picture on wooden boards hung at shrines) it commissioned. The shrine canceled the formal unveiling after discovering that the ema allegedly contained the unlicensed likeness of a character from Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro's Toriko manga.
The Asahi Shimbun newspaper confirmed with the shrine that it had commissioned a 2.2-meter tall, 3.6-meter long (about 7.2 by 12 foot) "jumbo ema" from the Tokushima-based illustrator MUSTONE, and displayed the ema in the shrine beginning on December 23. Visitors pointed out that the ema features a character who looks similar to a character from Toriko. The ema was commissioned with the theme of a monkey, to coincide with 2016 corresponding to the monkey in the Chinese calendar.
In a statement to The Asahi Shimbun, the shrine stated that it recognized that MUSTONE drew a character [from Toriko] without permission, so it has covered the ema with a cloth and canceled the unveiling, and are seeking permission from publisher Shueisha. A person involved with the shrine stated: "It is unfortunate, but we will have a decision as to whether to reschedule the unveiling or cancel it altogether before the end of the year." Shueisha's public relations department issued a statement to The Asahi Shimbun saying: "The person in charge is not present, so we cannot comment until [2016]."
