Despite its name, Futago Park in Inzai City isn’t much of a park. It was designed to be a rest stop for cyclists riding along Lake Imba. There’s not much to see, except for a pair of elephant statues and a public restroom. Both, however, happen to be noteworthy for different reasons.
The statues, to begin with, are not of ordinary elephants but of Palaeoloxodon naumanni, an extinct species of elephant that lived in Japan around 330,000 to 24,000 years ago. The fossils, believed to be from an adult Naumann’s elephant and its child, were found near the small park in 1966. Today, the monument shows what the two animals may have looked like in real life.
The restroom at Futago Park itself is ordinary, but in 2018 to 2019, it unexpectedly drew nationwide attention due to a mural that was found on it. That artwork was attributed to the famous artist, Banksy. It depicted a chimpanzee walking with a downward gaze and holding a rifle, with a baby monkey at his feet. Though drawn in the artist’s distinct style, the same artwork is not known elsewhere, suggesting that it might have been a genuine Banksy. But then again, perhaps it was just an imitation done well.
No matter its authenticity, the city had no liking for it and eventually the mural was removed altogether, without a trace. Now, a rather regular restroom stands next to the life-size elephants.
