The reason why the face of his statue is shining is because there is a rumor that touching the statue makes you smarter, and thus it has been patted by many people who visited Goryokaku.
この彫像の顔が光っているのは、五稜郭を訪ねる人々の間で、触ると頭がよくなるといううわさが広まり、なでまわされるからである。