[Iwate Prefecture] Did you know that there are actually 5 siblings? A detailed dissection of Iwate prefecture's official local mascot "Sobaccchi" and his dog siblings!

Sobacchi and the Wanko Brothers in 2009 as PR characters for the " Iwate/Hiraizumi Tourism Campaign " and have been officially recognized as Iwate Prefecture's image characters since 2010 .

Because of its cute appearance, many people must have picked up the goods during their trip to Iwate...This time, we took a closer look at Sobocchi and his dog siblings

Five brothers with different personalities! I didn't have to take turns alone...

When I first learned about it, I thought that Sobacchi was rotating the contents of the bowl, but that was not the case! The characters with different contents on their heads are all different characters, and each character is in charge of a different region within Iwate Prefecture.

The main character "Sobaccchi" is based on "Wanko Soba" , a specialty of Iwate (Hanamaki), which is said to be a symbol of hospitality in Iwate Prefecture, "Joboji-nuri" lacquerware, which uses Iwate lacquer, which is the largest domestically produced lacquer in Japan. is.

there are ``Kokucchi'' containing grains ``Tofucchi'' containing tofu ``Omocchi'' containing rice cake ``Unicchi'' containing sea urchin bowl

Profile of dog siblings

Sobocchi (main character)

The character ``Sobacchi'' contains one corner of Morioka's three major noodles, ``Morioka Wanko Soba.'' As the main character of Wanko Brothers, he travels all over Japan to promote Iwate Prefecture as a whole!

• Motif: Wanko soba
• Home: A soba field in the Kitakami Mountains
• Personality: Leisurely (long like soba noodles)
• Special Skill: Can eat a lot of Wanko Soba.

Kokucchi (in charge of the northern area of ​​the prefecture)

The character ``Kokucchi'' is based on millet grains such as millet, millet millet, and inakibi, which are widely produced in the northern part of Iwate Prefecture. We are in charge of the northern part of the prefecture, from the inland to the coast, including Ninohe and Kuji.

• Motif: Grains
• Home: A grain field in the forest
• Personality: Always falls asleep
• Special Skills: Walking in nature, being very resistant to cold
• Area in charge: Ninohe, Kuji, northern area of ​​the prefecture

Tofucchi (in charge of central prefecture area)

Because Morioka City consumes more tofu than any other prefectural capital, Tofutchi, a character who carries tofu inside a dog, is in charge of promoting the central area of ​​the prefecture.

By the way, Morioka City ranked first in the nation in terms of tofu purchases for two consecutive years in the 2018 and 2019 surveys, and since the following year, it has been ranked second for four consecutive years. I hope the day will come when we can regain first place!

• Motif: Tofu
• Home: A long-established tofu shop
• Personality: Kind and firm
• Special skills: Getting up early (same as Otofu shop!), Sansa dance
• Area in charge: Morioka, Hachimantai, central prefecture area

Omocchi (in charge of southern prefecture area)

Mochi food culture has been passed down throughout the southern region of Iwate Prefecture, centering on Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi. This is a traditional food that dates back to the Edo period, when this area was a territory of the Date clan, and there are said to be over 300 types of mochi dishes.

Omochi, the character in charge of the southern part of the prefecture, has a mochi, a traditional food, on his head.

• Motif: Zundamochi
• Home: An old rice farmer
• Personality: Tenacious
• Special Skills: Mochi pounding, transformation (more than 200 ways to eat mochi), power mochi
• Area in charge: Hiraizumi, Hanamaki, Tono, southern prefecture area

Unicchi (in charge of the southern coastal area)

Unicchi is a character in charge of the coastal area of ​​Iwate Prefecture. On the head of the sea urchin, there is a sea urchin bowl selected from among the rich seafood of Sanriku.

Speaking of sea urchin along the coast of Iwate Prefecture, the name ``raw sea urchin in milk bottles'' is famous, in which sea urchins are stored in milk bottles with sterilized seawater, so this may be where the name comes from.

• Motif: Sea urchin bowl
• Home: A rocky area on the Sanriku coast
• Personality: Shy (usually wears a shell)
• Special Skills: Free diving, shelling sea urchins
• Area in charge: Miyako, Kamaishi, Ofunato, southern coastal area

"Comic Iwate WEB" where you can read manga about dog siblings

"Iwate Manga Project," a project by Iwate Prefecture that aims to use manga to communicate the charms of Iwate's culture, lifestyle, and scenery, original works by manga artists connected to Iwate Prefecture and the "Iwate Manga Award" contest Comic Iwate WEB a free manga site that distributes prize-winning works , also publishes manga featuring Sobacchi and Wanko siblings for free.

Among them, the dog siblings that appear in Noboru Asahi's work ``In the Head'' are charming and cute.

Link: Comic Iwate WEB – Noboru Asahi “Inside the head”

“Wanko and Sibling Song” was also used as the departure melody at JR Morioka Station.

There is also a character song for these dog siblings.

It has also been used as the departure melody for JR Morioka Station for a limited time from May to June 2012, in conjunction with the large-scale tourism campaign "Iwate Destination Campaign" held from April to June 2012. …

As you can see from the video, it looks quite surreal!

The song can also be downloaded from the Wanko Brothers official website.

summary

The Wanko Sibling characters I always thought were Sobocchi's rotating characters. If you think about it, there's no way you're alone because you're siblings.

If the inside of your head changes, your character will change as well...When I visit Iwate in the future, I will try to identify the brothers!

Dog siblings＜Information＞

• Wanko Brothers Official URL: We, Iwate Wanko Brothers (Iwate Prefecture Tourism Association)
• Wanko Brothers Official X (formerly Twitter): Iwate Travel @Iwate Prefecture Tourism Association