Momotaro statue from Japan stolen from San Jose park; police seek suspects

By Tim Fang

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.

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.

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.