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Entertainment start-up company Enbound has announced “Onsen Musume,” a cross-media project to create characters based on onsen (hot springs) throughout Japan. A teaser site and official Twitter and Facebook pages for the project are now open! The project will be supported by Dai-ichi Kangyo Credit Cooperative and Tokyo Otaku Mode.
Planned to be a cross media franchise, the project seeks to share with the world the magnificence of Japan’s beautiful hot spring destinations through characters created based on famous onsen locations throughout Japan. As an effort to enrich and enliven Japan’s hot springs tourism, “Onsen Musume”, an idol group of nine girls created to save Japan’s hot springs, was born.
Introduction
Japan in the near future—
Onsen god Sukunahiko gathered together in a girls’ school nine girls known as “Onsen Musume,” apprentice goddesses who dwell in the onsens all around Japan. As the girls looked on in nervous anticipation, Sukunahiko began explaining why he had called them all together.
“I want you nine girls to become an idol group…”
Onsen tourist destinations that Japan boasts to the world have been seeing decreasing tourism each year due to the changing times. If circumstances continue as they are, onsen locations may be forced to close.
“With the same hospitality as at onsens, become idols and bestow healing and smiles to everyone! And recover Japan’s onsens to their former glory!”
Thus, in order to save the country’s onsen crisis, the Onsen Musume begin their journey toward idol stardom.
Character Introduction
Name: Yuina Kusatsu
CV: Yuki Takada
Character Design: Benio
Yuina is the type who generally favors rushing headlong into an endeavour without proper planning first. She is the group’s center.
Birth Date: April 1
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Blood Type: B
Height: 155 cm
Measurements: B83, W59, H82
Hobby: Trying new restaurants
Special Skill: Manju tasting
Favorite Thing: Onsen manju
Dislikes: Coriander
Onsen musume is the ultimate combination both the traditional and pop culture aspects that make up Japan.
Although we’re all familiar with the grand city scapes and urban digs of Japan’s cosmopolitan culture, Enbound feels there is much even more potential to be found in the latent charm of Japan’s rural country-side where hot springs and traditional cultures lie waiting to be discovered. The project was created with the mission of bringing fans of Japan’s pop culture to experience this part of Japan first-hand.
The project has just started, so look out for more announcements in the future!
