Takeshi statue welcomes Kyoto University test-takers

Nibi Gym Leader challenges examinees to battle

Article Discussion* Report error Friday, February 26, 2010 Reported on Bulbanews by Umeko This article brought to you by Bulbanews, your community Pokémon newspaper.

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The Takeshi statue at Kyoto University

As has become tradition, an imitation of Orita Hikoichi's statue has appeared on Kyoto University's Yoshida South campus. The statue famous for being continually defaced has once again been reincarnated, this year in the form of the Nibi City Gym Leader, Takeshi.

Orita Hikoichi was a Japanese educationalist, and the first headmaster of Third Senior High School in the late 1800's. In recognition of his achievements and efforts in the founding of Kyoto University, a bronze bust of him was created in 1950 with contributions from Kyoto U. graduates, and sat outside building A of the University's Integrated Anthropology Department for nearly fifty years.

Around 1986, however, the bust began to be regularly defaced, starting with its face being spray-painted red, with "angry person" scrawled on the base. The graffiti continued, becoming gradually more elaborate, despite the college's efforts to keep the statue presentable. Signs were posted by the bust reading the following:

“ As headmaster of Third Senior High School, Orita Hikoichi-sensei assisted in the founding of Kyoto U., and is a person who has left behind many achievements in pursuit of academic liberty at Kyoto U. Please do not dishonor this statue. ”
	-- Integrated Anthropology Department

In 1997, after a decade of graffiti, the statue was finally retired to Integrated Anthropology Department's basement, where it remains to this day. Every year around entrance exam season, however, a fake statue appears where the real one once stood.

This year, on February 25th, Takeshi appeared on the campus, accompanied by the following sign:

“ As Gym Leader of Nibi Gym, Orita Hikoichi-sensei assisted in the raising of Rock-type Pokémon, and is a person who has left behind many achievements in the distribution of Move Machine 34 throughout Kyoto U. Please do not choose Zenigame. ”
	-- Iwark

Information

• Yahoo! News (Japanese)
• History of the Orita bust (Japanese)
• Brock statue on Twitpic