The Hokkaido city of Kushiro has started a promotional effort in which it seeks to raise its profile by creating a girls' manga series set in the region.
Authored by Hisa Kyomachi, "9: Kimi Ga Iru Machi De Koi O Shita" ("9: I Fell in Love in the Town Where You Live"), is set in Kushiro, with the government using the ¥12 million in central government-provided regional revitalization funds to pay for its production costs and expenses, including research on the region and interviews with locals.
The series started in the Oct. 5 issue of Sho-Comi, a popular girls' comic magazine by major publisher Shogakukan Inc. The twice-a-month publication boasts a nationwide circulation of 138,000, with high school girls its target market.