We've walked down to Mizuki Street, also known as the Kitaro Sculpture Street, down near the center of town near the end of the peninsula. I'm standing in front of Kitaro, a popular character by manga (comic book or graphic novel) author Shigeru Mizuki. Mizuki is now in his 80s, but he's famous in Japan as a prolific manga author. Born in Sakaiminato City, he served in the army during World War II. He started writing after the war, often using folk tales and especially traditional ghost stories in his work. Kitaro has evolved over the years, settling on the image of a young boy with his hair flopped over half of his face. Like most ghosts, demons, spirits, and sprites in Japanese folklore, Kitaro is a formidable guy ... though much more unlikely to kill and eat you than most. His father, who's soul retreated into one of his eyeballs when he died, often occupies Kitaro's eye socket (the one covered with hair). Kitaro's father often climbs out to help Kitaro or just to cause mischief.
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