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Gegege no Kitarō Creator's Shigeru Mizuki Road Attraction Gets Upgrade
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Shigeru Mizuki Road is a tourist attraction in GeGeGe no Kitarō manga creator Shigeru Mizuki's hometown of Sakaiminato, Tottori. The area has undergone various upgrades and changes over the years, such as the addition of a totem pole that Mizuki helped design in 2011. The sightseeing area is receiving a new major update that will debut on July 14.
The main part of the tourist area runs down a roughly 800-meter (about half-mile) street in front of JR Sakaiminato Station to Mizuki Shigeru Museum, and it opened in 1993. One of the most prominent aspects of the street's GeGeGe no Kitarō-themed decorations is the bronze statues of characters such as Kitarō and Nezumi Otoko. With the new update, the number of bronze statues will increase from 153 to 177. Another addition is a nighttime light display that will project character silhouettes onto the road.
On July 14, the franchise's characters will appear in a parade as part of a special event to celebrate the sightseeing area's update. Anime voice actresses Umeka Shōji (voice of Neko Musume) and Yukiyo Fujii (voice of Mana Inuyama) will attend the event and participate in a talk show. Additionally, a ceremony will mark the third update to the local GeGeGe no Kitarō trains, and admission to Mizuki Shigeru Museum will be free on the day of the celebrations.
Tottori Prefecture is one of the sponsors of this year's GeGeGe no Kitarō television anime, which premiered on April 1. The collaboration marks the first time that a local self-governing body in Japan is sponsoring a television anime with a national net broadcast. Tottori Prefecture's YouTube channel recently began streaming a commercial that highlights the region's famous attractions, including Shigru Mizuki Road.
The commercial is also airing during the anime's television broadcast. The anime will run for more than 50 episodes, and Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs.
Sources: Sakaiminato City Official Web Site, Sakaiminato Sightseeing Guide, Tottori's YouTube channel, Comic Natalie
