Momo ‘suicide’ puppet maker says kids shouldn’t fear horrifying beast because it’s been destroyed insisting ‘the curse is gone’
Japanese artist Keisuke Aiso, 43, has told The Sun that his freakish creation has 'rotted away'
THE artist who created the chilling Momo sculpture says kids shouldn't fear the horrifying beast because it has been destroyed after it “rotted away.”
Sculptor Keisuke Aiso, 43 says he feels “responsible” for terrifying children after his work was hijacked by online sickos who used it in the so-called 'Momo Challenge.'
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“I threw it away and a week after the whole thing blew up.
“It was falling apart, so it’s probably for the best.
"If you’d have seen it in the state it was in, it would have probably looked even more terrifying.
“I have no regrets that it is gone.
“I don’t really care that they changed the name though.”
Aiso spoke from his studio in the suburbs of Tokyo, which sits on a quiet residential street opposite a school football pitch.
FOR KIDS: How to say no
It can sometimes be hard to stand up to your friends, so Childline offers the following tips on how to say no:
1) Say it with confidence:
Be assertive. It’s your choice and you don’t have to do something which makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
2) Try not to judge them:
By respecting their choices, they should respect yours.
3) Spend time with friends who can say ‘no’:
It takes confidence and courage to say no to your friends. Spend time with other friends who also aren’t taking part.
4) Suggest something else to do:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing what your friends are doing, suggest something else to do.
Any child worried about peer pressure or online worries can contact on 0800 1111.
His nightmare factory is littered with half finished models, prosthetic limbs and other ghoulish creatures, which he has been creating for over 20 years.
He told The Sun that a lot of his inspiration comes from horror films.
Aiso said: “I’ve always like scary movies and I was a generation where horror movies were big here.
“It inspired me to work on this type of art and make models for films.
“I have so many favourites, but Texas Chainsaw Massacre is probably my favourite.”
Aiso revealed that he and other artists who work in the Tokyo area have received death threats because of the sick suicide challenge.
DEATH THREATS
He said: “Another artist was mistaken for the creator and she has received death threats and disturbing messages online about the work.
“I feel bad for her, but now I am getting the messages too. They say I will kill you and you should die, in both English and Japanese.
“I feel bad that she has been mistaken for me.”
Is the Momo Challenge a hoax?
THE Momo Challenge is believed to have originated in South America.
The creepy face of a Japanese sculpture was hijacked and spread on WhatsApp - reportedly with instructions enticing children to perform a series of dangerous tasks including self-harm and suicide.
In recent days police and schools have issued warnings about the challenge arriving in the UK and a number of parents have said their children have been exposed to it.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom even told MPs the Government is "extremely concerned" about it.
But confusingly UK charities and internet experts have suggested the challenge is a hoax.
The Samaritans and the NSPCC said there is no confirmed evidence anyone has come to physical harm.
And YouTube claimed: "We have found no evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube."
While it appears the challenge itself may not have reached Britain, sick copycats have been traumatising children by splicing a ghoulish video of a bug-eyed girl into Peppa Pig cartoons and Fortnite gameplay footage.
The Vanilla Gallery in downtown Tokyo spoke about the abuse they received after they displayed the scary sculpture back in 2016.
Yoko Taguchi from the gallery said: “Every summer we hold an exhibition about Japanese ghosts stories and his piece was for that.