Cartoon Figure "Kobo Chan" to boost Geisha town, Kagurazaka in Tokyo

The national daily newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun has a popular four-column cartoon "Kobo Chan" going daily in its morning edition. Now, the main figure of the cartoon, Kobo Chan, is cast into a 1-meter-high bronze statue at the street corner of the town of Kagurazaka, Shinjuku, Tokyo. It was unveiled August 16.

Masashi Ueda, 68, is the godfather of this cartoon hero and he says he had no idea his hero would ever stand at the street this way. Ueda has a citizen of the town over 37 years and the town is now his hometown. Chuzo Katumura, 72, cast this statue to help boost business in his town of which he is head of commerce-promotion council.

The cartoonist Ueda is party to similar business-booting projects in Kagurazaka. The town map is full of his drawings.

For the benefit of touring foreigners a few tips on Kagurazaka might be due. Kagurazaka was formerly a proud Geisha town where every walk of Geisha art was practiced: exquisite Japanese dance, shamisen / koto / tudumi music of the highest standard, not to mention flower arrangement and tea ceremony. The town has now lost much of its cultural lusters but still is home to such classical forms of Japanese culture.

Kagurazaka today is one of many not-so-much-talked-about centers of modern Japanese charms - foods, clothes and you name it. It's town of mild hills which add to your fun of occasional visits there. Rather little known is a cozy female chorus to help raise funds for caring for helpless animals! The groups gives X'mas concert every year and actively participates in charity events of all kinds. The late Takako Doi, former speaker of the House of Representatives, was among the all-female membership; stage costumes are designed by the famed designer Junko Hoshino. The Kagurazaka Femal Chorus is the counterpart of the Roppongi Male Chorus, with whom joint concerts are often staged.

Kagurazaka is indeed another must for foreign tourists to feel out modern Japan.