Shiga Ward to be established in Tokyo!?

On March 4th, Shiga Prefecture held the "One Day EVENT Shiga Ward" at Aqua City Odaiba in Minato Ward, Tokyo. This event was held in anticipation of a new spot opening in Nihonbashi this fall to promote the prefecture's appeal. It aims to promote a place in the Tokyo metropolitan area where people can experience Shiga's high-quality offerings, dubbed "Tokyo's Shiga Ward."

The opening featured a "Local Mascot Stage" introducing the prefecture's mascots, hosted by the comedy duo "Family Restaurant." The duo's members, "Harada" and "Shimobayashi," are active as "Shiga Prefecture Resident Comedians" under Yoshimoto Kogyo's "We'll Live in Your Town Project."

Incidentally, this project is a nationwide initiative launched in 2011 where 47 "Resident Comedians" actually live in all 47 prefectures to help invigorate their regions. Comedians and area-assigned staff use the power of laughter to assist in regional revitalization. Related article: http://dentsu-ho.com/articles/562

The two comedians introduced six characters with their witty banter, performing their signature "Welcome~!" gag. These included "Hideyoshi-kun" (Nagahama City), modeled after Toyotomi Hideyoshi; "Mori-san" (Moriyama City), a firefly fairy; "Ninjaemon" (Kōka City); and "Caffy" (Shiga Prefecture).

The special talk segment featured talent and "Omi Rice PR Captain" Daisuke Miyagawa, actress and "Shiga Public Relations Director" Hikaru Takahashi, and Masataka Hayashi, who runs the Shiga information site "Shiga no Ee Toko (Shiga Toko)" ( http://shigatoco.com/ ). They conveyed the prefecture's appeal while hosting the segment at a family restaurant.

When Miyagawa remarked, "I grew up eating delicious Omi rice every day, and that's the source of my power today. It's famous in Kansai, but it's a real shame it's not well-known in Tokyo," the Family Restaurant host retorted, "Then you should promote it more on TV!" leaving him flustered.

Takahashi, who had been living locally until a month prior, promoted the area: "The air is clean; just being here is healing. I recommend barbecues and walks at Miami Beach, or drives along Lake Biwa's lakeside roads." Hayashi prefaced his remarks by noting, "Shiga is a prefecture unfamiliar to Tokyoites." He then introduced hidden connections even locals might not know—like the famous department stores founded in Tokyo by Omi merchants, or how Ueno's Shinobazu Pond was modeled after Lake Biwa—concluding, "Calling it Tokyo's Shiga Ward isn't entirely untrue." Mr. Harada, a resident of Otsu City in Shiga Prefecture, mentioned that Otsu was the final post town on the Tokaido Road. "When I came to Tokyo today, I got off at Shinagawa, the first post town on the Tokaido, and my spirits soared. I want to take a commemorative photo at the starting point, Nihonbashi, before heading back." Mr. Miyagawa countered with, "Get back home already!" Feeling confident, Mr. Miyagawa offered another topic: "The sightseeing boats on the Biwako Canal are also interesting." However, he was immediately challenged again from the family restaurant, "That's run by a Kyoto company too," prompting him to conclude, "Let's just drop this one," which brought the house down, wrapping up the passionate talk overflowing with "Shiga love."

Booths selling prefectural products like food, crafts, and sundries lined the venue, drawing visitors' interest.

Official Website: https://shiga-ku.tokyo/