A newly formed island in the Ogasawara Islands, now connected to Nishinoshima, has sparked a buzz on Twitter about its resemblance to Snoopy.
The Japan Coast Guard announced on December 26 that a lava flow from a new island near Nishinoshima had reached the island's southern coast, merging the two islands. Aerial photos released of the island's resemblance to Snoopy have sparked online buzz, with various media outlets publishing photos and videos.
NHK News' tweet has now been retweeted over 400 times. The official Twitter account of the select shop "LANTIKI" tweeted, "There's a stone statue of Snoopy near Centraaaaalkobe. It's hard to get to Snoopy Island, but come and find it during the New Year holidays."
This year, Snoopy has also sparked buzz in the fashion and art worlds, with a Snoopy exhibition held at Roppongi Hills and the release of various collaborative items.