The first theatrical anime film for Chiikawa, "Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island," hit the big screen on July 24th and has been a massive hit, already smashing past the 10 billion yen milestone and continuing to rake in impressive numbers.
This success has sent Chiikawa's popularity skyrocketing in Japan once more. Recently, a user on X shared a discovery from Sairen-ji Temple in Chiba Prefecture: the temple had placed a "Siren doll" on its outdoor bulletin board, accompanied by a proverb written by the temple itself. This ingenious pairing earned widespread praise from netizens, making many eager to make a pilgrimage to the site.
The user who shared the post wrote, "The backstory behind this temple's bulletin board message is seriously intense." So, what exactly did it say?
"I always thought I was the victim, but it turns out I was the true perpetrator."
Naturally, this proverb subtly hints at the story within "Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island," a meaning that fans who have seen the movie will undoubtedly understand.
Some netizens pointed out that Sairen-ji Temple in Chiba has a history of using stories from anime or games to craft proverbs for its bulletin board. The temple also frequently places dolls and figures around its grounds, often drawing significant attention from online communities.
Other netizens noticed a curious phonetic similarity between "Sairen-ji" and "Siren," finding the coincidence quite clever.
(However, in reality, "Sairen" in Japanese is pronounced 'sai-ren', which is different from "Siren" (セイレーン, 'sei-rēn'), though they do sound somewhat similar.)
Thanks to the proverb, the Siren doll, and the temple's name, many netizens expressed their desire to visit Sairen-ji. It's truly surprising how a temple can be so in tune with current events, especially when it comes to anime. It just goes to show that Chiikawa's popularity has truly swept across Japan, even inspiring temples to express their philosophies. Seriously clever stuff!