I wonder if the Paira alien sculpture inspired Starro from DC Comics (who first appeared in 1960). It certainly inspired a race known as the Pairans who appear

I wonder if the Paira alien sculpture inspired Starro from DC Comics (who first appeared in 1960). It certainly inspired a race known as the Pairans who appear in the kaiju film Warning from Space. I'm not sure that I believe in the author's conclusion that these Japanese cultural inspirations represent a pivot for the Zelda series towards more focus on Japanese cultural heritage in line with the "Cool Japan" policy. Nintendo's works have always been rooted in Japanese culture with Western elements mixed in for universal appeal. Both the Mario and Zelda franchises draw heavily from that titan of the East Asian canon, Journey to the West -- with Bowser being modelled on the Ox King and Ganon being based on the pig demon Zhu Bajie. Some of Mario's transformations are based on Japanese folklore about trickster animals -- the tanuki suit, the use of the leaf, and so forth. The Jōmon artifact inspiration really serves to add that next level of mystery in a manner that would be instantly evocative of "ancient precursors" to a Japanese audience.