AJIGASAWA, Aomori -- The popular Akita dog Wasao has been assigned to serve as a stationmaster for Ajigasawa Station on the JR Gono Line. He is "in charge" of tourism promotion for the current fiscal year through next March.
Wasao's "wife" Tsubaki is the deputy stationmaster, while his "daughter" Chome has been promoted to "sales section chief" after time spent as a trainee last fiscal year.
The three dogs, known as the "Wasao family," are taking turns welcoming and seeing off passengers of the popular Resort Shirakami train from this spring's tourism season through next March.
A ceremony was held on April 6 to issue the letter of appointment to the Wasao family in the presence of a crowd including Ajigasawa Mayor Mamoru Hirata.
After the ceremony, Wasao wore a stationmaster's cap and awaited passengers on a platform. When the Resort Shirakami arrived, disembarking passengers waved at and started taking photos of Wasao.
"The Wasao family makes everybody smile," said a person related to the East Japan Railway Co.'s Akita Branch Office. "We want them to do their best to promote tourism."
Free attraction for dog lovers
AKITA -- Taking advantage of the Akita dog boom, the Akitainu Visitor Center has preliminarily opened since April 17 (the grand opening is May 8) near JR Odate Station as a new spot to attract visitors from Japan and abroad.
The two-story building with 1,246 square meters of floor space is modeled on the old Taisho-era (1912-1926) Shibuya Station building in Tokyo. It was there that faithful Akita dog Hachiko visited almost every day to await the return of its owner, continuing to do so even years after the owner's death. The center's features include a huge semicircle window in the facade and an 18-meter clock tower.
It cost about 1.052 billion yen (9.4 million dollars) to build with the help of grants from the central and Akita prefectural governments. The center's operator hopes to attract 140,000 visitors a year.
Inside, an exhibition room gives visitors a close look at Akita dogs bred by the Odate city government. The museum also introduces the dog's roots and characteristics. There is a souvenir shop and a specially prepared open-air dining area.
Outside, grassy spaces allow visitors to relax with their dogs and a parking lot accommodates 111 vehicles. "One, one, one" sounds like "wan, wan, wan" -- Japanese onomatopoeia for a dog's bark.
The city government has added two Akita dogs to make six that are present at the center in turn. In cooperation with Akitainu Hozonkai's Akita Kenpoku branch, one of the dogs is present on weekdays and two dogs are at the Akitainu Visitor Center on weekends and national holidays. The center is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and admission is free.
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