Are You Hatappy (Happy)? ♪ Hatappy

Our staff was also surprised at just how cute Hatappy was!

Who is Hatappy?
   Hatappy is a daruma sunset* fairy who was born in 2013 to promote the Hata region (southwest Kochi). She’s a girl with a quiet personality, but she gets fired up when talking about the Hata region. Highlights of all six municipalities in the Hata region are represented on her small body. For example, her body itself is a daruma sunset from Sukumo City. The decorations on her hat represent the bountiful mountains of Mihara Villege, the Shimanto River from Shimanto City, a wave from Otsuki Town, whose ocean has the most variety of fish types in Japan, the lighthouse and tsubaki trees from the Ashizuri Cape in Tosashimizu City, and a whale from Kuroshio Town, which is famous for whale watching. Her necktie is in the shape of Shikoku, with the red portion representing the Hata region.
*Daruma Sunset = an optical illusion in which the winter setting sun around Sukumo City takes the shape of a daruma doll or snowman.

Hata Regional Tourism Bureau
   Hatappy is in charge of PR at the Tourism Bureau. The bureau was founded in 1995 when a group of volunteers banded together to attract young people to the Hata region. In 2010, the organization joined with Kochi Prefecture and the six municipalities of the region to create the bureau as it is known today. They currently plan, create, and sell Hata region travel packages, with a focus on school field trips.

Hatappy’s special skill is
becoming small and going
on business trips all over!

Hatappy’s Activities
   Last year at a product exhibition in Osaka, Hatappy had the opportunity to advertise the Hata region to over 3,500 people. “We probably had so many customers stop to see us because of Hatappy!” exclaimed Mr. Higashi, who runs planning and PR at the Tourism Bureau. But Hatappy is involved in more than just publicity; she is also an active participant in the area’s traffic safety classes. Because she is so cute and easy to warm up to, she has also been tasked with watching over the safety of children, as her illustration was added to elementary school students’ backpacks. She’s so dependable!

 

Elementary school backpack
cover (back) and a decoration
handmade by a fan (front)

Looking to the Future
   Hatappy wants to focus most on working hard in her local area. Her dream is to spread the appeal of the Hata region to many people and attract many repeating tourists and people to move to Hata. She’s planning on soon publishing a photograph collection of her appearing in the beautiful nature of Hata. This spring, she will also help to publish a guide map of restaurants, leisure activities, and tourist spots in the Hata region called “SOUTHWEST in SHIKOKU” in English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese and Korean.You can pick up a copy of the map at the Hata Regional Tourism Bureau, so come check it out!

 

A Message from Hatappy
   “Come enjoy the Hata region with a multilingual guide map in hand! Next to our bureau is the Shimanto City Tourism Association and they have English speakers. Come get the latest info here. See you soon!”

Hatappy
   Hatappy’s Diary (Facebook): Search “ はたっぴー”
   Hata Tabi Official Website: http://hata-kochi.jp/