Saitama Revitalization Plan: “Make Kids Cosplay Kagami”
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: Mar 21, 2010 18:23 JST
- Tags: Anime Goods, Cosplay, Crayon Shin-chan, Lucky Star, Otaku, Saitama, Tourism
Saitama Prefecture, well known for being the spiritual home of Lucky Star, has published an official proposal to bolster the prefecture’s already substantial anime tourism trade via such otaku-oriented methods that include a previously reported plan to change schoolgirl uniforms to anime seifuku cosplay.
Asahi reported on the recommendations of the advisory group, the “Prefectural Anime Tourism Investigative Committee,” a group made up of anime and manga industry insiders and tourism consultants.
A number of the proposed ideas are listed below, all consisting of ideas to help revitalize the prefecture’s economy, which can best be described as a somewhat sleepy suburban center of the Greater Tokyo Area.
Some of the proposed ideas reported are:
- Modifying local school uniforms to ones modeled after those worn by anime characters.
- Increasing the number of events to better capitalise one the “voice” of the fans.
- Playing anime theme and insert songs over PA systems at street corners.
- Production of (anime and manga) goods utilizing the prefecture’s already existing traditional crafts and raw materials.
The anime / manga franchises with existing connections to Saitama and that would likely be the most promoted include Crayon Shin-chan, Astro Boy (who is a legally registered resident of the prefecture), but by far and away the most obvious series is Lucky Star.
However, the fate of the committee’s proposal will ultimately be up to the prefecture’s various municipalities and chambers of commerce – they could perhaps be forgiven for not forcing their school population to dress as anime characters.
The cities that in particular stand out to be the most likely candidates for adopt any of the proposal’s ideas are the city of 鷲宮 / Washimiya, the location of Washinomiya Shrine (the family shrine of Lucky Star’s lovely Hiiragi sisters), and the city of 春日部 / Kasukabe, the real life setting for much of the Lucky Star series, as well as Crayon Shin-chan’s home city.
Indeed, Washimiya is likely to have preemptively enacted many of the proposal’s ideas long before they were even made – the Washinomiya’s shrine visibility in Lucky Star (Kagami dances in front of the shrine in the show’s OP) has cemented its status as an otaku holy site, drawing countless number of devoted otaku pilgrims, even some from overseas.
The resulting wave of pilgrims, almost certainly the initial impetus for the tourism committee’s proposals, naturally resulted in a significant boost for the local economy, as reported in this somewhat outdated but informative Wall Street Journal article.
A Lucky Star cosplay seifuku, and possible model for future Saitama schools?
Whether or not any localities besides Washimiya will make use of the proposal’s ideas remains to be seen, but the adoption of any one of its suggestions -especially that of entire schools full of Lucky Star seifuku cosplayers- would certainly be heartening to Tokyo’s huge otaku population.
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LIKE
I would move there if those plans go through.
Pity fat chicks would ruin the look.
Sounds like an awesome Idea
If only they had that back when I was in high school I'd randomly break out in song and dance to the tunes of my favorite anime shows while still looking cool because people would join in.
*Sigh*
Kagami? Yes please. Though I'm not a fan of Lucky Star, Kagami is the reason why I finished watching the series. Out of all characters, she seemed to be the most well-rounded(though that's not saying much).
I'm in full support of this plan. Also, Twintails = Wintails
Sure they might get more visitors, but all of the wrong kind. If I were a high schooler there, I would be be like FML every single day... Plenty of creepy fat otaku skulking around. Parents should just move out of Saitama with their teenage girls.
LOL shit and here i am regretting returning from Japan... should've applied for permanent residence
:(((((
Tourism tactics are always fun to watch!! Some are really creative than others too :D
In a more unrelated note, is that illustration of Kagami made by Ishikei?
EDIT: Guess I was right about the last part ^^
They will need to add more ladies cars to the trains to portecte al those poor schoolgirls from the sudden influx of otaku chikans who cant control themselves.
I hope they don't change the uniforms. The last thing that schoogirls need is a bunch of creepy otaku ogling them or asking them for photos.
Dude, seriously!
I think I'd want to visit this place if they did that.
So you get up in the morning and dress up like an anime character in your fuku and go to school and then sing a song (the OP theme) about how you hate it!
DARLING, DARLING, PPLLLLEEEZZZEEEEE!!!!
this is just creepy.
DO WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wouldn't this increase the amount of pedophiles? Japan is already paranoid about the lolicon.
I'd like to see Da Japanese Ahnold, Lunar Papa from seto no hanayome as the male uniforms. That was set in saitama right?
I want to see all the creepy bastards that'll flock there just for the girls.
Opening soon! Pedo-Paradise!
must.....go...japan....now
can´t.....resist.....
Already invade the Philippine TV thanks to Kagami
"Modifying local school uniforms to ones modeled after those worn by anime characters."
This looks superficially brilliant idea though. But still, it hold a kind of danger.
Possibly those children wearing mini-skirt might be labeled a prostitute or something like that.
It's due to the fact that sex education in japan are taken the leadership of japan teachers union [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Teachers_Union] that are well known as instructing children excessive sex education.
This proposition is quite silly, gentlemen.
Whoever would even think of dressing up young ladies in such a fashion that would lure unsightly, obese dwellers-of-basements to take pictures and do unspeakable things to such pictures? (and maybe even the ladies themselves, good lord)
I would never in my lifetime support such poppycoc-
What did you say? These fat morons usually spend a copious amount of money on related goods there?
Ahem.
Adopt this policy immediately.
...Those uniforms are quite nice, to tell you the truth...
so they want to make a otakuland
Great. Oversaturation of something already on the verge of it.
It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, and you know it.
Time to get back to Saitama again >_>
Hey Quen. I didn't realize you still posted. =3
Hello.
I don't get around to making many articles currently, but I hope you liked this one, at least.
I should have a few more coming up later.
A rare post indeed, but keep it coming.
Its news like these, that make my day xD
We always like hearing from you, Quen! This news made my day.
Thanks, guys. ^^
If they want otaku tourism so badly so the school uniforms should look like the strike withes uniforms but with lucky star look - that would be sure a magnet for the right people :)
omfg if they did Strike Witches I'd die from blood loss lmao
Passport, check
Ticket, check
this is the best city in Japan
while some part of japan try to ban 2d loli, the other parts try to 3D-mize 2d loli?!
Let the battle begin.
The future of japan will be over-run by anime and miku.. AWESOME
Saitama is now the Disneyland for Crayon Shin-chan and Lucky Star.
Booked my tix already. HAVE U?
Anime: Recession's last hope
I knew it!
Hah. So the plan's still up for grabs, eh?
The school uniform looks just like ToHeart's anyways. =3=
More moe for the massess...
In other disguised news:
And more 3d cuteness
I wonder whats next...
Genetically engineered blue hair?
A huge project on how to manipulate string theory in turning the universe to 2D.
You know nothing of what you talk about.
A subrace of genetically engineered blue-haired bioroid slaves? You are thinking too small, gentlemen. We should concentrate our efforts into making our new creation able to withstand the harsh conditions of deep space. Ideally, we want to ship them into space with completely autonomous space crafts.
What's the worst thing that could happen?
Umm no we probably should not do that.
I watched enough scifi esp BSG to know that would not end well at all.
Yes also lets build some giant robots.
I know it's not luckystar related but come on if you got blue haired lolis you gotta have giant robots too.
FUND IT!
#5 hugging lolis are legal now.
So...hugging's really all you want, eh?
But hugging lolis is legal. Just as legal as hugging non-lolis in fact.
It's just that hugging people who are not part of your extended family or close friends is a bad idea, regardless of their loliness.
....my dream has come true
Now all we need is to make tsundere and twintails a part of the rule. "I-it's not like I wanted to dress like this for you! It's the school uniform!"
Don't forget knee socks, goddamnit! >_<
*Miroku74 snaps his fingers*
I thought I forgot something...
Correct, Sir. Thigh socks!
Thigh socks would be better, so there would be grade S zettai ryouikis running around. Knee socks are like what, grade C?
Damn right! I'm going to spend my life savings on a Haruhi film strip, camp in line 3 months in advance to meet Kugimiya Rie, and ride the Asuka train all my life! Oh and I'll live off pieces of cup ramen and will never get laid, but who gives a crap.
@Reizo
you sire, a true otaku(maniaxxx)!!
<(*A*)
you + me, and a ticket to Saitama. Now.
Friends, comrades... now is the time to throw away your doubts!
Saitama e!
*begins looking up residential information for Saitama*
Our dreams have come true!
Now teachers cant say your cosplaying in school! xD
I think all our dreams came true
I think all our dreams came.
Pedos
I came when i heard you had beaten the elite four
I just came.
My wet dreams came through....
Seifuku...
Srs Bsns
Time to go on a raping spree.
*loads shotgun*
Time to go on a killing spree. Today's menu: paedophile rapist zombies.
Time for thousands of Otaku to go actually go outside
The Zombie Apocalypse comes to Japan.
Time to move over there imo.
^
An encouragement for them to replenish their numbers at local elementary schools like no other.
+1 vote from random anon
One more to the list:
Teaching them to be tsunderes
Tsundere girls aren't as cute IRL. You have to put up with their tsuntsun actions without being able to listen to their inner deredere thoughts.
kind of reminds me when i went to kizaki lake, the settings used by onegai teacher/twins.
when i was there 3.5 years(sept 2005) after the anime finished airing, there are still plenty of people visit the place, i saw itasha as well as people leaving notes/drawing in the guestbook.
it was a fantastic trip, makes me feel like im living in the dreams/anime as well as sharing same experience with all other fans.
many locals also seems to know their home town is used by anime so they made onegai theme items, *mizuho curry, *onegai onsen, etc. fans + me loved it
Moving there sounds like a dream but the reality is.
You will never find a fucking job. Japan has the highest unemployment rate and the worst of the 1st worlds countries at the moment.
Which is why they are so desperate to go to these lengths to boost tourism.
And it might work, I plan to go to Japan soon as well.
Those poor bastards need help more the the U.S. at the moment.
Something tells me those schools will soon get several thousand transfer applications from 40 year old wannabe students, all male.
this is an excellent idea, we need seifuku at ALL schools
What's this stupid fixation on sailor-suit school uniforms?
Plain white blouses with ribbons or string ties are fine, too.
Isn't it too late already?
the only thing you can do next, is to have children and send them to saitama school.
unless you're very young
*Fly to Japan ASAP*
Already here, and will be heading to Washimiya ASAP!
I join you!
Must return to Saitama..Kagamis everywhere
Hundreds of Shin-chans running loose...
I just started watching this. :l Didn't expect it to be so amusing. C:
TO HEART!?!
Comrade in arms, check too.
What next? Pay Kyoani to make a second season of Lucky Star?
And K-On! 3rd season!
:p
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!
The link about overseas visitors to the shrine does not work.
I'm so happy T^T
I never thought this day would come. *wipe tears*
Yes, make innocent school girls wear uniforms to arouse the sexual desires of distressed and lonely men.
wtf?
I'm korean... DAMN! I WAS SOOOOO CLOSE!!!!!!!!!!