Susaki's Beloved Character ☆ Shinjo-kun

It might be good luck to touch
Shinjo-kun’s bellybutton!
 (Saki-chan is on the left.)

Who is Shinjo-kun?
   Shinjo-kun is Susaki City’s mascot character based on the Japanese river otter, which is now considered to be extinct but was last seen in the Shinjo River, which runs through Susaki City. He wears a hat shaped like Susaki’s famous nabeyaki ramen, and sometimes he lets his fellow mascot friends who are other mascots wear his hat.

Shinjo-kun's Big Break?
   Shijo-kun gradually became more and more well-known after being introduced as an “interesting character” by fellow mascots like Barysan, Udonnoww, and Osaki-Ichibantaro, whom he co-starred with at events. He has also been introduced by the celebrity character Funassyi as a “character about to make it big,” but Shinjo-kun himself still doesn’t feel like he’s part of the big leagues.

 

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.

Kuroshio-kun, Poster Child for Kochi Prefecture

Check out Kochi’s internet broadcasting agency

Bringing Kochi’s Appeal Nationwide!
   Kuroshio-kun, Kochi’s “poster child,” was born in 1997 out of efforts to improve Kochi’s image and increase its appeal.
   Using the motif of the Kuroshio Current which flows through Tosa Bay, Kuroshio-kun expresses the silhouette of Kochi Prefecture boldly advancing into the 21st century. He’s frequently mistaken for a whale or a tadpole, but make no mistake, he is the Kuroshio Current!!

 

Kuroshio-kun Makes Waves at the National Sports Festival in Kochi
   At the 2002 National Sports Festival in Kochi, Kuroshio-kun contributed greatly as the mascot of the competition. Thanks to his cute shape, his stuffed toys sold out on the first morning of the competition, and his popularity was so extraordinary that the regional media named him “The most successful mascot in competition history.” Kuroshio-kun goods are only sold at competition-related events, so if you happen to own something featuring Kuroshio-kun, you actually own a very rare object!
   Also, in the Nenrinpics in Kochi 2013 (national sports festival for the aged), Kuroshio-kun debuted a new red vest and white hat outfit, and enlivened the competition as “the face of Kochi.”

Kochi Life Q&A: When an Acquaintance has Passed Away

   Today, we will give an example of the progression from when you hear that an acquaintance has died, through the end of a Buddhist funeral. (Be aware that there are differences depending on religion, denomination, and regional customs.)

GENKI Seinenkai Tosaben Musical 2016 － O-Henro ALL STARS －

A photo taken onstage with a selfie stick
at the 2015 Tosaben Musical

   Won’t you add a bit of “GENKI” to your life? Each year, GENKI Seinenkai presents the Tosaben Musical!
   This year’s title is O-Henro ALL STARS. One night in Tosa, known as the “austerity and discipline” section of the Shikoku Henro Pilgrimage, many pilgrims gather at an inn, about to give up on their journeys. But why do they want to give up…?
   In an adventure of tanuki, shibaten, magicians, nosy-parkers, and other “only in Tosa” protagonists and antagonists, the characters will learn about friendship and forgiveness all over again. We hope all of you will join the adventure too!
   Admission is free, but donations are requested. Proceeds from donations will provide financial support for a high school or university student planning a study abroad, so please give generously!

Hamakawa Shoten “Sake that the locals will drink”

The new Bijofu labels, released in October,
use photographs taken locally.

Bijofu: Out of the Depths
   “Bijofu,” which has won Gold Prize for each of the last 5 years at the Annual Japan Sake Awards, is the most popular brand of sake produced by Hamakawa Shoten, located in Shikoku’s smallest town, Tano, in eastern Kochi. “Bijofu” was first developed by Naoaki Hamakawa, the fifth-generation CEO of the company.

   Hamakawa became CEO at a time when the future of Hamakawa Shoten was in doubt. The company had to sell 70% of its product to larger sake companies in order to make ends meet, but it finally pulled through the rough patch. Around that time, Hamakawa first encountered ginjo (special brew) sake in Tokyo. At the time, ginjo sake was only being made for contests, but more and more voices were calling for this delicious variety of sake to be released for regular sale. Enchanted by ginjo, Hamakawa thought, “I want to make this sake with my own hands!” Following this powerful urge, with no tanks, no technology, and no rice appropriate for ginjo sake production, he began to fumble his way through a field of “no” toward an entirely different kind of sake that his company had ever made before.

 

Tsukasabotan Brewery “A True Classic”

The 90m long sake storehouse built around 1850.

A Time-Warp Back to the Edo Period
   Walking just a few minutes from the JR Sakawa Station, we noticed a large building with white plaster walls. The sweet, faint aroma of sake drifted over from the open brewery, and it was like we were immersed in the nostalgia of an old film. We were at the Tsukasabotan Brewery, a veteran business founded in 1603. This particular white-walled building is a sake storehouse called “Warehouse No. 1”, and it has around 160 years of history. Chief Brewer Asano said, “Ryoma Sakamoto likely visited this brewery when he left Tosa. Ryoma liked to drink sake.”

 

Mutemuka “Local Sake with a Twist”

Entrance to the brewery.
They steam chestnuts in the large stoves inside.

Chestnut Shochu for Rural Revitalization

   In the mountainous region of Western Kochi lies the town of Taisho, Shimanto-cho. There can be found a brewery dedicated to local sake since its inception: Mutemuka.

   Mutemuka, which began as a simple sake brewery, started making their signature chestnut shochu “Dabada Hiburi” roughly 30 years ago. They got their start when the mayor of Taisho at the time asked them if they could help revitalize the town by using locally-grown chestnuts. They heeded the call, got a shochu brewing license, and got to work making chestnut shochu. At first they were committed to only using local chestnuts, but their rising sales outpaced local chestnut production, so they currently do not follow that requirement. However, Dabada Hiburi, which is made from over 50% chestnuts, still uses only domestic chestnuts.

 

Kochi Life Q&A: Important Occasions "I’ve been invited to a wedding…"

   Wedding banquets in Kochi are grand affairs, with long guest lists, lots of alcohol, and classic Kochi-style sawachi ryori (large platters of food). If it’s your first time at a Japanese wedding, you may be surprised to see that the couple changes their outfits several times, and that the bride and groom’s friends put on performances as entertainment.

 

   As for attire, men should wear a suit, and women, a pretty dress. Women should also wear a bolero or shawl over their shoulders, and take care not to draw attention away from the bride and groom by wearing anything too eye-catching. Avoid wearing white, since it’s the bride’s color.

 

Tosa Masters - Koichiro Nojima (The Landscape Designer from Kochi City)

  

Nojima designed and created this cluster
of trees and boulders near the Yakushi-do
building of Dainichi-ji temple.

   It’s been 40 years since Koichiro Nojima dove into the world of landscape design after marrying into a landscaping family. Thanks not only to his superior skill, but also to his contributions to the formation of the next generation of landscapers, Nojima was selected in 2012 as Kochi Prefecture’s thirty-ninth “Modern Master.” Along with these accomplishments, Nojima is also one of Kochi’s few professionally qualified tree doctors.

 

   When he began to learn landscaping, with zero knowledge about the job, the first tool Nojima was allowed to handle was a broom to sweep up the leaves and twigs that had been pruned from the garden plants. While sweeping, he says, he observed the more experienced workers at their tasks, and memorized their pruning methods. Eventually, he began to be allowed to use the big pruning shears to prune things that already had a good shape, such as hedgerows. A few years later, he had improved enough to use the small shears as well.

Tosa Masters - Shinichiro Tani (The Porcelain Craftsman from Kochi City)

Clay-making.
The clay passes through the waterway from right to left,
where it is deposited.

   Shinichiro Tani began his porcelain journey when he was 15 years old. At first he wasn't satisfied with his works, so he would remake items over and over to practice. About four years later, he was finally able to sell his first cup. He said he’ll never forget the joy he felt that day. Currently he is carrying on five generations of tradition since the Edo Period at the Tani Porcelain Manufacturers in Kamobe, Kochi City.

Tosa Masters - Takeshi Yoshikawa (The Dyed Goods Craftsman from Konan City)

He says the most difficult brushwork for the face is the nose.

   Around the time of Children’s Day (May 5th), originally a celebration of the birth and growth of boys, large furafu flags decorate Kochi’s skies in addition to the traditional koinobori carp-shaped banners. Takeshi Yoshikawa, a Tosa Master of dyed goods, says that, “One of the draws of furafu is the feeling of bravery one gets when they see a furafu swimming in the sky.”

 

   Yoshikawa, who makes furafu flags, nobori banners, and tosa-dako kites as a fifth generation owner of his family business Studio Yoshikawa, has been helping make furafu since he was a child. He started with washing furafu (which can take 1 hour per furafu!), and gradually moved on to painting colors. However, his young self didn’t enjoy the intensive labor, and his father explicitly asked him to succeed him in the family business, so he sought employment at a semi-governmental corporation in Kagawa Prefecture after graduating college. Then one day, while visiting home, Yoshikawa saw the happiness of a customer who ordered a furafu, and realized that he wanted to do a job where his personal efforts could directly make others happy. That’s when he decided to carry on his family’s craft.

Kochi Life Q&A “Kochi-ke ALL STARS”

Q: I’ve been seeing photos of people with star-shaped pins on their lapels, or people wearing star-shaped rainbow sunglasses. What’s going on there?

 

A: These goods have become popular thanks to Kochi-ke ALL STARS, the third stage of Kochi Prefecture’s Kochi-ke promotional campaign. This campaign seeks to introduce the charms of Kochi across the nation by highlighting how all members of the Kochi Family, both Kochi residents and people who have some kind of connection with Kochi, are stars in their own unique ways. People can apply to be recognized as a Star based on their hobbies or the things they like. For example, you could be the “star at living a carefree life in Kochi’s natural world.” To apply, search for 高知家 (Kochi-ke), find the Kochi-ke website, and go to the page called 高知家のスターに応募 (“apply to be a Kochi-ke Star”). From there, you can upload a photo of yourself, and overlay the image of the star-shaped sunglasses on your face so it looks like you’re wearing them. Finally, add a sentence or two explaining what kind of star you are, and you’re done!

   Once you become a Star, you’ll be registered in the Kochi-ke website’s Star Reference Guide, and you may have the chance to take part in Kochi PR videos, even sharing the stage with a famous actress from Kochi! It’s not just something fun to do for yourself, but something that could help all of Japan learn more about the charms of Kochi. The subject matter of this “Star Debut Project” changes every month, so it's always fresh and fun. Recommend your favorite stars, apply to become a star yourself, and help us revitalize Kochi!!

Let's Enjoy Kochi Sushi and Party Culture!

Learn about Kochi Sushi (making Kokera Sushi)

Learn about Kochi Drinking Culture (Hashiken, chopstick game and Shibaten Dance)

 

Date: Sunday, Oct. 25

Time: 13:00 - 16:00

Place: CUL - PORT

Check-in starts at 12:30 at the Cooking Room on the 10th floor.

Fee: 1,000 yen (Student: 500 yen)  

 

English, Korean and Chinese interpretation will be available!

 

Application:

You can apply on the SGG homepage or Facebook.

Homepage http://kochisgg.web.fc2.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/goodwillguide

 

Due Date: Thursday, Oct. 15

Questions: sggevent@gmail.com

Organized by Kochi SGG Club 

Kochi's Official Tourism Information Website Opens

    “VISIT KOCHI JAPAN,” an official website introducing information on tourism in Kochi Prefecture, is open now (Sep. 7). Of all regions on Shikoku Island situated in southwestern Japan, Kochi is the largest prefecture abundant in the blessings of nature.

 

   The website provides useful information to people who are considering traveling to Kochi and those currently visiting the prefecture.

 

   View more...

   http://visitkochijapan.com/