The Otome no Zo Statue of Maidens
The Statue of Maidens, cast in bronze and set on a block of black granite, was crafted in 1953 by Takamura Kotaro (1883–1956), one of modern Japan’s most prominent sculptors and literary figures. The statue was commissioned to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the creation of Towada National Park, as well as to celebrate three important figures in the history of Towada: Omachi Keigetsu, a famous poet who wrote of Lake Towada’s beauty at a time when the region was barely known; Takeda Chiyosaburo, then-governor of Aomori Prefecture; and Ogasawara Koichi, then-mayor of Towada. Takamura spent a year working on the 2.1-meter-tall bronze maidens, for which it is said his deceased wife, Chieko, was the model.
The Statue of Maidens is Takamura Kotaro’s last work.
The statue is very popular with Japanese visitors as a symbol of the lake, and is much cherished by the people of Towada.