Interest

9.5-Meter Rubber Duck Raised in Osaka for Quake Charity

In the absolutely-positively-nothing-to-do-with-anime department:

Chishima Real Estate inflated a 9.5-meter-tall (about 31-foot-tall) rubber duck and dropped it in the middle of a river in Osaka to raise funds for earthquake charity late last month. The objet d'art was free for viewing at Nakanoshima Park from October 22 to October 30 as part of the citywide Aqua Metropolis Osaka 2011 Festival.

5,000 replica rubber ducks, 300 limited-design T-shirts, and various clear files, stickers, magnet sheets, and pin badges were sold on the river shore near the giant version for charity. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman had originally created the objet d'art for Osaka in 2009, and the city decided to bring back the duck to lift spirits and raise awareness for charity.

[Via Gigazine]