So, I’m aware of “The Curse of Colonel,” where fans of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team threw a statue of Colonel Sanders from a local KFC into the Dotonbori canal, creating a curse that plagued the Hanshin Tigers for decades. I’m also aware that it was recovered in 2009 and put on display for a few years at the KFC near the tiger’s home stadium. However, finding sources as to where the statue is now (especially English ones) is proving quite difficult… The Hanshin Tigers English fan website posted that the statue was relocated in 2017 when KFC moved their headquarters to Yokohama. The website says that the “…statue was returned to the KFC Office in Osaka…” as for where in Osaka that office is, I’m uncertain and looking up the “KFC Office Location” has yielding no results. Most other articles about the statue are from 2009 when it was retrieved from the river, making the Hanshin Tigers page my only lead to finding this statue. I went to the KFC at the tiger’s home stadium just to make sure it wasn’t still there, and yup, nothing. If anyone has any idea as to where this Colonel Sanders statue is presently, I would greatly appreciate it!
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This looks like the Osaka office:
**関西オフィス所在地**
〒553-0003
大阪府大阪市福島区福島7丁目20番1号 KM西梅田ビル 10F
TEL 06-6453-6660
Here is an article about the statue (Japanese) https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/202201220001021.html
“09年に川底から発見され、現在は一般非公開ながら「幸福の象徴」として関西オフィス（大阪市福島区）に在籍中。17年ぶり優勝を果たせば、ファンとの再会がかなうかも。”
“It was discovered at the bottom of the river in 2009, and is currently enrolled in the Kansai office (Fukushima-ku, Osaka) as a “symbol of happiness” although it is not open to the public. If he wins the championship for the first time in 17 years, he may be able to meet his fans again.” Google translation
>>I went to the KFC at the tiger’s home stadium just to make sure it wasn’t still there, and yup, nothing
I did the same thing last year, which was annoying when I realized the English-language source I had consulted was out of date :/
Other than being in storage now, I’ve also read that its condition has deteriorated quite a bit
Given the way the Tigers ended the 2022 season by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against the Swallows I’m pretty sure wherever the thing is it’ll be safe for at least another few years.