A bronze statue honoring San Jose’s sister-city ties to Okayama, Japan, was cut down and stolen last week from Guadalupe River Park, city officials said.
The Momotaro statue – depicting a boy flanked by a dog, monkey and pheasant – vanished sometime before Oct. 15, according to the San José Police Department.
The artwork, gifted in 1993 by Okayama city officials, has long stood near the Center for the Performing Arts as a quiet emblem of friendship between the two cities.
“The theft of the Momotaro statue, a symbol of friendship and shared values, is an insult to our community and to our sister city, Okayama,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement Wednesday. “We will do everything we can to recover it and hold those responsible accountable.”
Authorities are urging anyone with information to call the department’s non-emergency line at 408-277-8900 and reference case #25-288-0623.
“The investigation is active and ongoing,” police said.
The loss marks the latest in a string of art thefts across San Jose.
In 2023, a statue symbolizing the city’s relationship with Pune, India, was stolen from the same park and later recovered from a scrapyard. The following year, a 600-pound sculpture valued at $100,000 was taken from a local studio and found dismantled.
In Japanese folklore, Momotaro – or “Little Peach Boy” – is a heroic child who journeys with three loyal animals to defeat a band of ogres, a tale widely taught to symbolize courage and cooperation.
This article originally published at Momotaro statue, a gift from Japan, cut down and stolen from San Jose park.