This event is more than just a ranking. It is a “Festival of Challenge and Connection,” designed to rediscover the infinite charm of local characters and transform their brilliance into a powerful driving force for regional revitalization.

For years, these characters have supported their communities and brought smiles to many. Now, we are preparing a new stage to accelerate these wonderful activities and allow them to shine even brighter. While honoring the community bonds built over time, we aim to maximize the value of these characters through modern approaches, delivering their charm to the entire nation and the world.

I want to recreate the excitement of the local character movement that once captivated Japan—the very movement I was involved in planning—but in an even more evolved form. Driven by this passion, I have leveraged my experience to update the system from the ground up. By blending long-term digital support with high-energy live events, we have created an entirely new and thrilling mechanism where the “daily efforts” of characters are directly visualized through the support of their fans.

This project has brought together many like-minded partners. We have built an environment where every character takes center stage, and where fans and local residents can grow together while having fun. New encounters with corporations and international characters will also begin here. Together, let’s nurture Japan’s proud “local character culture” into content that brings smiles to the world.

Characters, fans, and communities—let us all join hands to co-create a brilliant future just one step ahead. Please look forward to the dawn of this new era!