Police in San Jose are searching for at least two suspects after a sculpture gifted to the city from Japan has been stolen from a city park in downtown last month.
According to officers, a bronze Momotaro statue was cut down and stolen from Veterans Memorial Park around 7 a.m. on Sep. 25.
The statue, which features a depiction of the popular hero in Japanese folklore also known as the “Peach Boy”, was a gift from San Jose’s sister city of Okayama, Japan. San Jose’s sister-city partnership with Okayama is its longest-running, dating back to 1957.
🚨 Alert 🚨
The Momotaro statue in Guadalupe River Park, near the Center for the Performing Arts, has been stolen. This…
Posted by San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs on Tuesday, October 21, 2025
A statement from the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs on Oct. 21 described Momotaro as “an important and beloved part of our community.”
Photos shared by police showed one of two suspects pushing the statue in a shopping cart, heading northbound towards Park Avenue.
🚨 PUBLIC’S HELP NEEDED – VETERANS MEMORIAL THEFT 🚨
On 9/25/25, at approximately 7:08 AM, a bronze “Momotaro” statue was cut down and stolen from the Veterans Memorial Park in San Jose.
One of the two suspects was last seen walking northbound through the park pushing the… pic.twitter.com/ibq1SV1tXl
— San Jose Police Dept (@SanJosePD) October 29, 2025
Anyone with information is asked to email detectives at 5029@sanjoseca.gov or to call the department’s non-emergency line at 408-277-8900, referencing case #25-288-0623.
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