Japanese city keeps dedicating bronze statues and other tributes to Street Fighter series 

A city in Japan’s Nara prefecture has been expanding its ongoing collaboration with Capcom’s Street Fighter. Station name signs featuring popular characters from the fighting game series were unveiled on September 30, along with a Ryu design on a train, and a new bronze statue of Ken (source: The Sankei Shimbun). 

The Kashihara City x Street Fighter collaboration has been running since 2022 to attract tourists and revitalize the city. The city’s link to Street Fighter actually dates back to 1995, when Street Fighter II: Return to the Fujiwara Capital was released. The educational anime features Japan’s first integrated capital city, Fujiwara-kyo, which was founded over a millennium ago in what is now Kashihara City. Previously, the city unveiled bronze statues of Ryu and Chun-li. Various other nods to Street Fighter can also be found in the area (including colorful manhole covers).  

On September 30 2024, new station name signs featuring drawings of iconic Street Fighter characters were unveiled at four stations along the Kintensu Kashihara line, including the Yamato Yagi and Kashihara Jingu-mae stations. Visitors should keep their eyes peeled for a total of ten different character illustrations (Hint: four of them are at Yamato Yagi station). There is also a train with a brand-new 35cm drumhead featuring Ryu. 

On the same day, the city revealed its latest bronze statue, this time of Ken doing his winning pose at the Kashihara Jingu shrine- as shown on local TV news. According to the city’s website, E. Honda will also be joining the roster in the future.