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Okayama Prefecture's Kibi Dango Promotes Korakuen Gardens, Warns Against Smoking
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Last year Okayama Prefecture introduced us to the tourism anime Kibi Dango. The anime, which draws cues from the popular Momotarō folktale, takes an educational look at the area's local government and policies to help raise interaction with young people. The first episode focused on disaster preparation and starred Yui Horie as the new transfer student Momo. A second episode promoted traveling overseas.
Additional characters include student council president Inukai (Yūki Kaji), the frivolous Saruhiko (Ayumu Murase), the cool Kandori (Yūki Kaji), and the mysterious English teacher Alex (Ayumu Murase).
The project was revisited in two new five-minute episodes on Thursday. The first episode's plot centers on smoking awareness and tobacco use. Momo's brother has begun smoking cigarettes which concerns Momo. She and her friends talk with her brother about the harm of tobacco, its effect on others around him, and persuade him to stop smoking.
The second episode takes a more traditional approach and focuses on Okayama Prefecture's Korakuen gardens. Momo visits Korakuen for the first time and learns about its different areas and history.
Korakuen is collaborating further with Kibi Dango by using the characters as voice guides for tourists. Visitors can use the QR code provided on leaflets at Korakuen to activate voice guidance from the characters. There are 11 different areas in Korakuen that work with the voice guide.
