On June 28, the capsule toy "Hirosaki Bus Stop Tour vol.1" began to be sold at the anime goods specialty store "Animedia Buranko" (Nakano, Hirosaki City, TEL 0172-32-8648 ).

"Hirosaki Bus Stop Tour vol.1" is an acrylic stand / key chain with the theme of a fictitious bus stop. At the bus stop with the names of famous places in Hirosaki city, you can find things, animals, food, etc. that are related to the area. It is a combination of two.

Bus stops include Hirosaki Park, Gankisan Shrine, and Fujita Memorial Garden. There are 7 types in the lineup, including 1 secret type. The price is 500 yen. The owner, Yasuhiko Matsuoka, says, "It's a bus stop that seems unlikely and unexpected."

Mr. Matsuoka opened a coffee shop under the name of "Blanco" in 1974 (Showa 49), and prospered as a store with swings in the store. In the 1980s, it changed its business to a video rental store and in the 1990s to a game store. “I read the demands of customers and started before the major chain stores opened in Hirosaki. When the chain stores opened, I started doing something else because I couldn't afford the capital,” says Matsuoka.

In recent years, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the number of customers has been declining, and the purchase of products has become difficult, making it difficult to continue business as it is. Mr. Matsuoka started thinking about closing the store, but decided to continue the store with the regrettable voice and encouragement of regular customers. "I thought about selling my own goods to do what I found interesting," says Matsuoka.

This is the first time to develop our own goods. For commercialization, I called out to a regular customer, Mr. Tayanaoki. Taya became fond of the manga "Flying Witch" set in Hirosaki, and moved from Tokyo to Hirosaki in 2021. Mr. Matsuoka says, "Mr. Taya is one of the people who wants to liven up Hirosaki, who has moved to Japan. I always come to talk about that thought, but I was too tired to act, so I pushed my back."

Mr. Matsuoka smiles, "I'm thinking about the second and third bullets. I want to release a maniac lineup that will please the locals."