Songpa-gu Haha·Hoho Characters Explode in Popularity at Japan City Exchange Festa

Songpa-gu Participates in Tokyo's 'Urban Exchange Festa' on March 8
‘Haha Hoho’ Characters Draw Local Attention
Songpa-gu’s City Brand Recognized as an Excellent Tourist Destination in Japan

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it participated in the ‘Urban Exchange Festa’ held on the 8th in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, its sister city, to promote Songpa-gu’s city brand and excellent tourist resources.

Bunkyo-ku is a city with a population of about 240,000 located in the center of Tokyo, Japan, and is a hub of tourism and education with many parks, temples, Tokyo Dome, and famous universities. Songpa-gu and Bunkyo-ku signed a sister city agreement last December and have been continuing activities for mutual exchange and cooperation.

As the official first exchange activity as sister cities, Songpa-gu participated in the ‘Urban Exchange Festa’ held in Bunkyo-ku, Japan, on March 8. The event promotes the charm of domestic and international exchange cities of Bunkyo-ku and facilitates exchanges between cities.

This year, the event was held on a larger scale than last year, with 13 sister cities in Japan, 6 overseas exchange cities, and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan participating, each city enthusiastically promoting themselves.

The highlight of this Festa was undoubtedly Songpa-gu’s characters ‘Haha · Hoho.’ Representing the story of Songpa-gu, the host of the 1988 Olympics, ‘Haha · Hoho’ showcased their lively charm and cute appearance, playing a major role in promoting Songpa-gu and showing off their appeal.

At the Songpa-gu promotional booth, city brands and souvenirs featuring Haha · Hoho were displayed, and promotional videos and tourism brochures were distributed to introduce Songpa-gu’s tourist resources.

In particular, traditional Korean games such as Tuho, Jegi, and Ddakji were held as events, gaining great popularity among the approximately 8,500 visitors to the event venue that day.

Japanese visitors said, “I was led by my child who saw the cute Haha · Hoho to the Songpa-gu promotional booth, and it was fun to experience traditional Korean games,” and “I want to visit Songpa-gu on this family trip,” showing enthusiastic reactions on site.

Also, Haha · Hoho roamed the event venue, taking photos and interacting with visitors, conveying a friendly image of Korea. International students from China and Malaysia said, “I was very interested in K-POP and K-dramas, but meeting Korean culture and cute characters in Japan makes it even more special. I am so happy to have received a Haha Hoho neck pillow through Jegi-chagi (Korean shuttlecock kicking).”

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “Following last year, this year’s event with ‘Haha · Hoho’ was an opportunity to promote not only Songpa-gu but also Seoul and the Republic of Korea, showcasing Songpa-gu’s competitiveness that rivals any city in the world,” and added, “We will continue to strive to let more people know the brand value of Songpa-gu together with ‘Haha · Hoho.’”