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Galaxy Express 999's Maetel Welcomes Tourists to Fukuoka
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Galaxy Express 999 character Maetel will soon welcome anime pilgrims and regular tourists alike to the city of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka. Visitors to Kokura Station will be able to pose for photos with a statue of Maetel and an anime backdrop.
The train station serves as a gateway to the city, and the Maetal photo spot will stand inside the station's tourism information center. Digital signage outside the area will guide visitors to the exhibit.
Galazy Express 999 creator Leiji Matsumoto is from Kitakyushu. The Kokura Station area is also home to the headquarters of anime, manga, game, and idol news company Aruaru City. The Kitakyushu Manga Museum, dedicated to local manga artists, collects and preserves materials related to their works.
The Maetel area will debut on January 28, and a related photo rally will launch the same day. Two other Maetel statues stand at the station's bullet train gate and at Kitakyushu Manga Museum. The first 300 people to take pictures of the three Maetel statues around the station and post them on social media will receive prizes. The promotion will offer limited-edition commuter passes and original postcards.
Maetel became a model for Socialtech's Chap Up line of hair products on December 1. The pachinko machine maker Kyoraku Sangyo hosted a Maetel modeling contest in 2011 to commemorate the release of a new Galaxy Express 999 machine.
Source: Anime! Anime! (Yuma)
