The local government of Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, created a unique manhole cover to honor KABOSU, the prototype of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency and a Shiba Inu, for its significant contributions to the local tourism industry.
In February of this year, the local government of Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, combined the prototype of the meme coin Dogecoin, which is the origin of the meme, with a picture of KABOSU, a Shiba Inu, and the local tulip specialty to create a one-of-a-kind manhole cover. This was done to recognize KABOSU’s enormous contributions to the local tourism industry.
What is the background of KABOSU, the Shiba Inu?
KABOSU is a Shiba Inu that was initially abandoned in a trash bin and later adopted by a Japanese kindergarten teacher named Atsuko Sato on November 2, 2008.
In 2013, a photo of KABOSU with its tilted head and smug smile, uploaded by Atsuko Sato, became an overnight sensation on the internet, turning the cute little dog into Japan’s most famous meme dog.
Subsequently, the “Doge” derived from KABOSU became an internet meme that represents inner monologue and is filled with sarcasm. It indirectly led to the creation of Dogecoin, the origin of meme coins.
In 2021, an NFT (non-fungible token) of KABOSU’s meme was auctioned off for a record-breaking price of 110 million New Taiwan Dollars, making it the most expensive meme NFT to date.
Further reading:
Doge Shiba Inu meme’s “true Japanese owner” releases NFT! Zora’s charity auction has already surpassed $3,500.
Doge raises funds to build bronze statue for KABOSU.
Previously, the Dogecoin Foundation had released a press release in November 2022, announcing plans to fundraise for the creation of a bronze statue to be placed in the Sakura Hometown Square where KABOSU often takes walks. However, due to events such as the bankruptcy of the FTX exchange, the project did not raise enough funds at the time.
However, in November of last year, to celebrate KABOSU’s 18th birthday, fans from around the world finally raised enough funds to establish a monument for KABOSU. In addition to the “physical form” of the KABOSU meme image, there is also a statue of three cats accompanying it.
Regarding the creation of the manhole cover for KABOSU, Atsuko Sato, the owner of KABOSU, said:
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