Japan’s regions have seen tourist numbers plummet since a controversial government-funded travel scheme was suspended at the end of last year over concerns that it was helping spread Covid-19 infections.
Noto, where squid is a delicacy, reportedly received ¥800m in grants from the national government to help see it through the pandemic, according to the Fuji News Network.
While town officials were not required to allocate the relief money directly to coronavirus measures, they have drawn criticism for spending such a large sum on the cephalopod attraction.
A local woman in her 60s told the Chunichi she could see how the statue could boost tourism in the long run, but thought the money would have been better spent on medical workers and nursing care services that are in desperate need of support.