OSAKA -- A huge puffer fish lantern belonging to Zuboraya, a long-established puffer fish restaurant in the Shin Sekai area of Naniwa Ward, Osaka, was removed before dawn on Thursday.
A banner saying, "Cheers, everyone!" and "Goodbye!" was hung in place of the lantern.
Zuboraya, founded in 1920, is to be closed later this month due to its business failing as a result of the coronavirus. While the puffer fish lantern with its funny looks has been known as a symbol of Osaka, the Osaka municipal government has demanded that it be removed, saying that its size violates the municipal standards for outdoor advertisement material.
Masataka Kondo, a 57-year-old cafe owner near the restaurant, witnessed the removal. Ropes were strung across the lantern and it was loaded onto a truck. "It feels empty without the lantern, but this is the flow of the times. I guess we have to accept it," Kondo said.
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